


Captain Tantrum

by SheeWolf85



Series: Captain Tantrum [1]
Category: Underfell - Fandom, Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alphyne, Attempted Murder, Blow Jobs, Clubbing, Cunnilingus, Dancing, Deepthroating, Drunk Sex, Ecto-dick, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fingering, Fluff, Fluffy Smut, Friends to Lovers, He just needs love, Kinda, Language, M/M, Mention of Collars, Open and honest communication, Oral Sex, Papyrus is a bit of an asshole, Reader Is Not Chara, Reader Is Not Frisk, Reader-Insert, Romantic Fluff, SO MUCH FLUFF, Sans is your best friend, Sex Talk, Sexy role play, Slow Burn, Smut, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, a touch of angst (tm), eventual sansby, maybe slightly more than just a touch of angst, more like a pinch and a half of angst?, murder investigation, responsible alcohol use, role play, romantic smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-07
Updated: 2019-04-26
Packaged: 2019-06-06 14:43:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 76,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15197006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SheeWolf85/pseuds/SheeWolf85
Summary: At a festival celebrating the breaking of the barrier, you meet two interesting skeletons. Sans is strange but cool. The other one? Yeah, he's an asshole. You're going to fall in love with him. He just needs a little encouragement and for someone to truly care about him.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this story came about in a really weird way. The initial inspiration was a few different fics I read regarding UF!Paps and the reader getting it on and talking about how they thought he'd been such an ass when they first met but he'd turned out to be so much more. I wanted to read about the reader getting to know him and overcoming his assiness (is that a word?), but I couldn't find it. Additional inspiration came from a few art posts from cheapbourbon on Tumblr and their Captain Papyrus in uniforms and suits. Mm-mm. Finger-licking good. Please go check out their art; they are truly gifted.
> 
> When I started writing, I fully intended on this being a oneshot that focused on Paps going from misunderstood asshole to competent lover, but it took on a life of its own and now I have nearly 10 chapters written. Hooray? There will be smut...eventually. If you're patient enough.
> 
> That being said, thank you for giving this story a chance. I hope you enjoy!

 

What a fuckin' dick.

You scowled as you watched a tall skeleton chewing out a shorter one. His voice raised to a degree that you were certain the entire mall could hear every syllable as he shouted about how the shorter one had gotten out of his sight. The shorter guy's face was beet red as he stared at the ground and nodded occasionally.

You took a moment to look them both over. The tall skeleton seemed to be all sharp points and long edges. There's a deep scar that runs vertically through his left eye socket, ending just a few inches short of his sharp teeth. He's dressed in tight black leather pants with a shiny silver skull belt buckle and a black t-shirt. He wore a red scarf and gloves for whatever reason (it was freaking summer; wouldn't he get hot?) and knee-high boots on his feet.

The shorter skeleton was even worse. He wore a thick, black coat with a fur-trimmed hood and long black shorts. On his feet were black hiking boots.

Apparently, they had a thing for black.

Silence fell for the first time in ten minutes, and you could swear your ears started to ring with how quiet the place was. The only sounds for a few beats of your heart were people shuffling, trying to get a better look at the commotion. The skeleton's raving had caused everyone within the near vicinity to stop what they were doing and come see. A few people had tried to intervene but were quickly waved off  _("MIND YOUR OWN DAMN BUSINESS." "THIS DOESN'T CONCERN YOU." "IF I WAS GOING TO HURT HIM I'D HAVE DONE IT ALREADY.")._  It seemed the tall guy had an air of authority around him that few people wanted to challenge.

"ARE WE CLEAR?" The tall skeleton asked, in a slightly quieter voice.

The short one looked up, and you caught a glimpse of a red, spiked collar around his neck. Seriously?

"yes, boss."

_Seriously?_

With a curt nod, the taller skeleton turned on his heel and started to walk away, ignoring everyone who followed him with their eyes. The shorter had to run to keep up, but the taller didn't seem to care.

What a dick.

People around you slowly started to get back to their activities from before the spectacle. You took a minute to think back over the words that had been shouted at the top of whatever lungs a skeleton might possess. You had learned that the skeletons were either brothers, or the tall one had recently lost a brother. He was obviously worried that the short guy would get lost. Maybe that was his kid. That might make a little more sense, but then why would the shorter call him boss?

You decided it wasn't any of your business. As you continued your shopping, however, you couldn't help but feel bad for that shorter guy. You wished you could go back and stick up for him. Nobody deserved to be yelled at like that.

* * *

It had been a full two years since the barrier had been broken and monsters were freed from the underground. It wasn't exactly a pleasant experience; most humans didn't like monsters up in their business and tried to kill them at first.

That didn't last for too long, thankfully. The first year was spent smoothing things over between monsters and humans, and the second was spent integrating monsters into society.

You were one of the few who supported this integration from the beginning. You were excited to see monsters; you'd only ever heard stories of them. You found out pretty quickly that some of your friends you thought were good people were actually the opposite. Some of them turned against you simply for being pro-monster. Others wanted to try to maintain their friendship with you, but only on the grounds that you let them protest the integration. You refused to keep company with those people; you were on the side protesting segregation, and you would not maintain the belief that you could still be friends with someone who had such differences of core values.

That wasn't to say that you'd lost all of your friends. No, some of them were actually decent people who helped you make your protest signs and helped keep you safe (you really kept each other safe; you weren't helpless) during rallies.

All of that was behind you now. Well, most of it. It had been a long time since anyone had actively protested against monsters, but that didn't mean all the hatred had gone away.

You'd heard about the festival that was going on in a nearby town to celebrate the breaking of the barrier. It was supposed to be a big party with food, games, probably some rides, and fireworks. The idea that the monsters would put together this festival had apparently brought the haters out of the woodwork again, and you'd seen on the news that there were a few groups protesting the fun.

You wanted to go and be part of the supporters, but you couldn't get the day off work.

On the morning of the festival, you made a decision and called in sick. You were pretty sure your boss knew what was going on, but you really didn't care. You needed to get to that festival and be a supporter, dammit!

You packed up a few snacks and bottles of water, dressed in a pair of shorts and a tank top, slipped into your tennis shoes, and headed out the door.

The drive took a little over an hour. You knew you were in the right place when you started to see the protestors. Dumbasses, you thought. The fuckin' lot of 'em.

It took you a while to find a parking spot. Once you did, you slipped your bag with water and snacks over your shoulder, locked your car, and headed toward the fair grounds with an excited ball of energy buzzing in your chest.

You ignored the protestors yelling at you and walked right past them. They were looking to cause chaos, and it would only feed into their hand if you caused a scene by yelling back at them. Instead, you maintained your happy smile and the bounce in your step.

The entrance was guarded by two dogs who growled at you at first. It didn't surprise you; they probably weren't expecting to see many humans attend.

"AT EASE."

The dogs immediately stopped growling and faced straight ahead.

Wait. You knew that voice. You'd heard it cussing someone out not three weeks ago.

"ARE YOU HERE FOR THE FESTIVAL, HUMAN?"

You nodded and looked up to meet the gaze of the very same tall skeleton from the mall. You swallowed.

"Y-yes, I am," you managed.

He looked you over before nodding and stepping aside to let you pass. You couldn't help but look him over as you did.

He stood ramrod stiff, his shoulders squared, and his arms crossed over his broad chest. He was wearing a dark uniform with a symbol you recognized from somewhere on the sleeve. His eyes were on you as you examined him. His eye sockets were dark except for small red lights serving as pupils. The set of his mouth—full of sharp, menacing-looking teeth—made you think he was scowling at you.

You finally managed to look away and noticed the booth just up ahead where you'd buy your ticket. You decided you were done ogling the admittedly handsome skeleton and hurried away. You always did have a thing for guys in uniform. You hadn't realized your heart was pounding as hard as it was. It took you a second to catch your breath.

"didn't know boss was so  _breath taking_ ," a deep but chill voice joked.

You looked up to see the shorter skeleton from the mall sitting in the booth. Well, not exactly sitting. He was slouched so far on the wooden stool that he was practically laying down, and he had his feet up on the counter. The back of his head was leaning against the far wall, providing support. He was wearing the exact same outfit he'd been wearing at the mall, collar included. He was grinning at you with sharp, pointed teeth, just like the other one. One of his teeth, you guessed it may have been a canine based on it's place in his mouth, had been replaced with a gold one.

"you wanna buy a ticket, sugar?"

You managed to nod and dug your wallet out of your bag. "Yes, please."

"sure thing. it'll just cost ya a kiss."

That was unexpected. " _What?_ " You stared at him for a second. Those teeth looked like they could do some real damage.

He laughed and sat up on the stool. "man, you humans are too easy. your face is fuckin' red." He pulled a ticket from a box on the counter next to the till and held it out to you. "five bucks."

You handed him the money and took the ticket. He took your hand as well and stamped a blue symbol onto the back of it. It was the same symbol from the sleeve of…boss? Boss' uniform. Where did you know it from? It had something to do with monsters, but you just couldn't place it.

"it's the delta rune; our royal symbol."

Oh, right. "I knew that!" you all but shouted. You looked at him apologetically. "I mean, I'd forgotten where I knew it from, but I did know what it was. Thank you for telling me."

He smirked. "sure thing, sugar. have fun." He gave you a wink.

"I will." You winked back and smirked at the red that came up on his cheekbones as you walked away.

* * *

The festival was a ton of fun. You met many new friends and tried new foods. You nearly threw up when you found out that Muffet's pastries were made from actual spiders. Somehow, you managed to keep it down. You played as many games as you could. Some of them required magic, so you just took some time to watch monsters play instead.

As you walked up to one of the few rides, you were surprised to see the short skeleton operating it.

"Weren't you at the ticket booth?" you asked.

He grinned. "what, a guy can't work multiple jobs?"

"Sure, but at the same time?" That was doubtful.

He laughed at that. "nah, i switched with betty. gotta have some variety, otherwise i'd go mad."

You let a few monsters go ahead of you. "How many jobs are you working here, then?"

"many as i want. why, you lookin for a job, sugar?"

"No, and my name's y/n, not 'sugar'."

"mmkay." He held out his hand. "sans. sans the skeleton."

You shook his hand and immediately regretted it when you felt a burning shock go up your arm. You pulled back sharply and scowled at him as he laughed at you.

"heh. the ol' buzzer in the palm trick. that never gets old." He pretended to wipe a tear from his eye socket.

You noticed he had two red eye lights like the taller skeleton. You were curious about that but decided now was probably not the time to ask him. You were holding up progress, and some of the ride patrons were getting impatient.

"I'll let you get back to work, Sans."

He gave you a mock salute. "sure thing, sugar."

With a groan, you found a spot on the ride and buckled yourself in.

* * *

The sun was starting to set and you could tell things were escalating toward fireworks as you made your way toward the large stage at the far end of the fair grounds. Despite the crowd, you were able to find a spot near the front and sat down on the soft grass. While you waited for the show to start, you picked at the grass as you listened to conversations going on around you. It wasn't hard to catch one in particular.

"I'D LIKE A SPOT NEAR THE FRONT, SANS!"

"you'll get a better view back a little ways."

"I DON'T WANT TO BE BACK A LITTLE WAYS."

You smiled to yourself as you listened. The taller skeleton's voice had taken on a slightly petulant tone that made you think of siblings bickering.

"you just wanna see mettaton."

"I DO NOT! THAT ROBOT DOES NOTHING FOR ME."

"sure, boss."

"WE'RE SITTING UP FRONT, AND THAT IS FINAL."

You tried to keep yourself from looking up to see where the skeletons were. If Sans' voice was anything to go by, they were close. You were pretty sure Boss would sound like he was next to you even if he were actually on the stage.

Something landed on the grass next to you with a small thud, and you looked over in surprise. Sans smirked at you and gave you a little wave. Behind him were a pair of long legs, and you found yourself craning your neck to look up at Boss. Had he dropped Sans? He sat down in one smooth motion, crossing his legs, before he straightened his back and pulled Sans onto his lap.

Okay, that was cute.

You turned to get a better view and wondered again what their relationship was. You had no way to know either of their ages, so you told yourself they could be father and son or siblings. Maybe good friends? Although Boss' rant at the mall had seemed a bit too intimate for friends. Perhaps they were lovers. You took in the way Boss' arms wrapped protectively around Sans, holding him close, and Sans cuddled in close in Boss' embrace.

Then there was his collar. You wondered if he wore it willingly.

"take a picture, lady; it'll last longer."

Your eyes snapped to Sans' and you felt your face flush.

"I-I'm sorry," you stumbled. "I didn't mean to stare." You turned your attention to the stage and tried to keep it there. It was difficult, as your eyes kept betraying you to land on Sans' foot and slowly crawl their way up his legs. It wasn't your fault you were sitting next to something so cute.

You suddenly remembered your phone in your pocket. You'd taken a lot of pictures throughout your day at the festival. Some of monsters, some of the games or the prizes you'd won.

Before you could talk yourself out of it, you dug your phone out of your pocket and turned on the camera. You turned to the skeletons and aimed.

"Say cheese!" You quickly snapped the picture and turned back to the stage.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Boss shouted.

You looked at him sheepishly. "He told me to. Besides, it's a cute picture." You opened it and showed him.

Sans laughed as if it was the funniest thing in the world, kicking his feet as he tried desperately to suck in air between giggles. You found yourself smiling just at the sound of it.

Boss scowled and shoved Sans off his lap. That surprised you, and your smile dropped.

"THERE'S NOTHING CUTE ABOUT IT. I DEMAND YOU DELETE THAT IMAGE NOW."

You scoffed. "No way!" You stuffed your phone in your pocket just in case he tried to snag it from you.

Sans was still laughing, now laying on his back in front of both you and Boss. His smile told you that he wasn't hurt in any way by what Boss had done. That made you feel marginally better.

You could feel eyes on you, and you turned to find Boss glaring at you. You glared right back.

"That was pretty shitty of you," you said, crossing your arms to match his posture.

"MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS, HUMAN."

"My name isn't human!" But you weren't going to offer it to him.

"nah, it's sugar."

You cast a glare at Sans. "No, it's not."

"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOUR NAME IS, AND NEITHER DOES SANS."

"Sans already knows what it is."

Sans sat up and sighed, shaking his head. He cast a glance at Boss. Maybe saying that wasn't such a great idea?

"HOW?"

He seemed indignant, like he couldn't possibly think of a scenario in which Sans would learn your name, but he wouldn't. God, could this guy be more of a jerk?

"I DEMAND YOU TELL ME YOUR NAME!"

Yes. Yes he could.

"No." You turned back to the stage and straightened your spine as you set your resolve to ignore him for the rest of the evening.

"SANS, TELL ME HER NAME."

You gave him a glare and shook your head, telling him silently to keep his mouth shut.

"it's y/n."

You scoffed. "Sans! That look I just gave you meant 'no, don't tell him'."

"i know." He shrugged and laid back down. He crossed one ankle over the opposite knee and folded his arms behind his head. "man, the stars are pretty tonight, aren't they?"

You looked up and found yourself entranced by how beautiful the night sky had become. "Yeah, but I'm more looking forward to the fireworks."

"WHY ARE YOU EVEN HERE, Y/N?"

Nope, you were ignoring him. You almost smiled when he grunted impatiently. Apparently, he was used to getting his way.

"I SHOULDN'T HAVE LET YOU IN. YOU'RE OBVIOUSLY HERE TO CAUSE TROUBLE."

That time you snorted. "Yeah, because I've caused  _so much_  in the five hours I've been here."

"SANS, ASK HER WHY SHE'S HERE."

You turned to look at him then. You didn't like him using Sans as a go-between. "Because I'm celebrating the barrier breaking, okay? I'm happy to have monsters walking around with their freedom. Does that bother you?" You narrowed your eyes at him.

He stared at you for a moment, and it seemed his glare softened. "NO, IT DOESN'T BOTHER ME."

"Good." You nodded once and turned to the stage just as the lights came on. Finally!

Mettaton, a robot monster with four arms, gave a short presentation about the festival and got a loud cheer from the audience as he announced the beginning of the fireworks.

They were absolutely beautiful. They lit up the sky in gorgeous greens and reds, blues and yellows. Some exploded into massive showers of color, while others left colorful trails of various shapes and designs.

Half way through the show, you felt eyes on you again. You looked at Sans, but he was staring at the sky with an awe-struck gleam in his eye sockets. You couldn't help but smile at the childlike wonder you saw on his face.

At the same time, you still felt the nagging pull in your chest that someone was watching you. You turned to look at Boss only to find him staring straight at you. He didn't look away. Not one to be daunted by a challenge, neither did you. Even when you felt your cheeks heating up, you kept eye contact. There was something in his gaze that became more apparent the more you looked at each other. You weren't sure what it was exactly, but it made you want to look away even more.

"Take a picture," you finally said, the blush on your cheeks surely visible even in the darkness by now. "It'll last longer."

His mouth curved in a way that made you think he was smiling at you. Without breaking eye contact, he reached into the inside pocket of his uniform jacket and pulled out a phone. He couldn't be serious…

He was serious. You just sat there and let him take your picture. You even smiled.

You heard something that sounded like a chuckle as he put his phone away. You used the distraction to look back up at the fireworks. It didn't take long to get lost in them again, but all the while, you were certain Boss was watching you more than them.

After the grand finale, you stood up slowly and stretched your legs and back. You were a little achy after having sat on the ground for so long, but it didn't take much to stretch those aches out. You were tired after such a long day of celebration, and you swayed a little as you bent to pick up your bag. You steadied yourself easily and turned to find Boss behind you with his arms out like he was about to catch you. His arms immediately dropped to his sides, and his back stiffened in a way that told you he'd once worn that uniform for official duty.

That was hot.

No, you refused to think of the jerk like that. You squared your shoulders and turned back to smile at Sans. He was smirking at something, probably you nearly falling flat on your face.

"It was nice to meet you," you said, not offering your hand. You didn't want to get shocked again.

"yeah, you too. hey, will you text me that picture?"

"NO, SHE WILL NOT!"

You ignored the brute.

"Of course; what's your number?" You pulled out your phone and quickly saved Sans' number.

Red, gloved fingers appeared before you and snatched your phone out of your hands. You cried out and tried to grab it back from Boss. His damned arms were too long and easily kept it out of your reach as he did something. You just knew he was going to delete that picture. You would kick him right here and now if he did.

He smirked at you as he finally relented and gave your phone back. To your surprise, the picture was still there.

"What did you do?" you asked, looking through your phone to see what was different.

"YOU WILL SEE."

"No, asshole, you'll tell me what you did right now."

He laughed. He actually laughed at you. That did it. You shoved your phone in your pocket and looked up at him.

"Look, I don't know who you think you are, but it's not nice to mess with people's shit like that."

He didn't back down. Instead, he leaned in a little closer to you. "I'M THE CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD, AND I DON'T GIVE A SHIT WHAT'S NICE AND WHAT ISN'T. I JUST ADDED MY NUMBER, SO CALM THE FUCK DOWN."

The…captain of the…what? It took you a second to process what he'd just said to you. The Royal Guard had been disbanded, you thought. There had been a big news broadcast about it a year and a half ago. It was part of the slow process of healing between monsters and humans. If this monster had been their captain…

Yeah, there was no denying that was hot. And maybe a little intimidating.

You sure as hell weren't going to let him know that.

Instead, you sucked in a breath and adjusted your bag on your shoulder. "What made you think I wanted your number?" you asked, your voice wavering a little. You couldn't keep eye contact.

"YOU HAVE MY BROTHER'S, SO OF COURSE YOU WANTED MINE."

Siblings! Ha! At least one of your guesses had been right. You wondered briefly which one was older. You wouldn't have been surprised if Mr. Tantrum over here was the baby. Oh, sorry.  _Captain_  Tantrum. You smirked to yourself and made a mental note to amend whatever name he'd put himself under.

"I'm not sure that makes sense, but I'm going home anyway." You turned to Sans and nearly glared at the grin he was giving you. "Goodbye, Sans."

"bye, sugar."

You rolled your eyes and started to walk away. You listened to Boss telling (aka yelling at) Sans that it was time for them to get home as well. As you walked, you pulled your phone out and sent the picture you'd taken to Sans. You then went through your contacts to find Boss'. You found it listed as The Boss. You smirked to yourself as you changed his contact name.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the festival is over and a worn-out, cliched trope is used once more. Have fun!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After I wrote this chapter, I told myself that the whole "protagonist getting saved by her love interest" trope is so overused and worn out and I should scrap it. I can't. I love it too much. I would write this trope every damn time and read it a million times over. Hopefully it's not too bothersome for my readers, though...

 

By the time you made it back to the festival entrance, most of the partygoers had dispersed. There were a few people milling around, but all in all it was quiet. The protesters from earlier were a similar sight. You sucked in a breath and looked out over the nearly empty parking lot. There were a few lights scattered around, mostly around the entrance, and the parking lot seemed to stretch out into darkness. You started to feel a little uneasy as you were reminded how far away you'd had to park. You straightened your spine and gripped the strap of your bag a little tighter. You were no coward. You could easily manage this simple little walk to your car.

You'd made it maybe fifteen feet when someone fell into step beside you. You half expected it to be Sans and looked over with a smile already spreading across your lips.

It wasn't Sans. The human man walking next to you had a cigarette in his mouth and smiled as he blew the smoke right into your face. You coughed and waved your hand, trying to disperse the smoke.

"Dude, that's gross!"

The guy chuckled. "Sorry, sweet thing. What are you doing alone out here?" He took another drag.

"Walking to my car, obviously. I'm fine by myself; I don't want company." Your grip tightened further on the strap of your bag. Something about this guy spelled trouble.

"Are you sure? You look like you could use some  _company_." He raised his eyebrows.

Ew, no.

"Fuck off."

"How 'bout I fuck you instead, filthy monster-lover?"

Okay, this was not going well. You stopped and turned to him. "You sure don't know how to take a hint, do you? I said leave me alone!" You went to shove him away from you, but he caught your wrist and tugged you to him.

His arm wrapped around your shoulders while the hand on your wrist pulled it behind your back and tugged upward enough to send a shock of pain through your whole arm. You cried out and looked around desperately. Surely someone would notice you struggling like this and come help! Nobody seemed to be looking, so you sucked in a deep breath and screamed as loud as you could.

That did it. A couple monsters around the gate noticed and started running toward you. The guy yanked your wrist up, and you screamed again as you felt the bone in your upper arm snap. He pushed you away only far enough to pull his arm back, his hand curled into a fist. You flinched, raising your good arm to try to shield yourself from the blow, as you stumbled backward. You ran into a wall and turned to try…something…you weren't sure what yet. You knew you couldn't go through a wall, but you were just desperate to get away.

The wall curled around you, and you gasped as you looked up. It wasn't a wall at all. Boss pulled you further away from the man and stepped in front of you. Beside him, Sans stood with his hands in his pockets. Both skeletons faced away from you, toward your assailant. In the darkness around you, you could barely make out a faint red glow around Sans' face.

"waddaya think, boss?"

"I THINK ONLY A COWARD WOULD TREAT ANOTHER PERSON WITH SUCH DISGRACE."

"i don't know 'bout you, but i ain't a fan'a cowards."

Between the skeletons, you could see a look of horror on the man's face. You were pretty sure you didn't want to know what caused it.

"COWARDACE BRINGS DEATH."

Oh, shit.

"Wait, guys." You stepped forward and put a hand on Boss' arm. "Don't kill him."

Sans chuckled and looked at you. You gasped and shrank back a little; his left eye burned with a bright red iris.

"don't worry, sugar; we'll just rough 'im up a bit." He noticed your arm then and winced. "uh, boss?"

"WHAT?"

"dude broke 'er arm."

Boss stiffened. You could practically feel the anger pouring off of him as both of his eyes began to glow bright red. He looked you over briefly, his eyes stopping at your arm. After confirming what his brother had said, he turned back to the cowering man in front of him.

"WHAT SHALL I BREAK OF YOURS?" Boss reached out and grabbed the man's throat, pulling him a bit closer. "YOUR NECK, PERHAPS?"

"Don't do that," you pleaded. You hissed as Sans tried to help you cradle your arm. It was a bad break, you could tell already. Gratefully, you let Sans take your bag.

You could swear Boss rolled his eyes at you. "FINE." Without another word, he twisted the man's arm. His scream was almost enough to drown out the sound of the crack. You winced. Boss waited for the guy to stop wailing before he spoke again. "MAYBE NEXT TIME YOU'LL THINK BEFORE YOU ACT." He let go of the guy's neck and let him drop the asphalt.

"boss, i think she needs a doctor."

"CAN'T YOU JUST HEAL HER?"

You furrowed your brow. You'd heard of healing magic before, but you'd also heard it had limited effects on humans.

"the break's too bad."

"WELL, FUCK."

Your thoughts exactly.

It would have been a great night if you could have said you'd been healed by magic. Although, you were pretty sure Sans had done something, because you couldn't feel the pain anymore and your head felt a little woozy.

"ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO." He turned his attention to someone else near you. As you looked around, you noticed a few monsters that had started running your way were now standing around in a half circle. "TAKE CARE OF THIS MESS, WILL YOU?" You heard a few mutters of agreement before Sans started leading you away.

"My car's over there." You pointed toward it with your good arm.

"yeah, we're taking boss'. you're in no shape to drive; trust me, sugar."

For whatever reason, you did trust him.

He helped you into the backseat of a black Mercedes convertible. You heard yourself mumbling about how awesome the car was as he helped you buckle in. Man, you were out of it. You closed your eyes and let the sounds and movements of the car soothe you into a fitful rest.

You were jolted awake when Sans leaned over you to unbuckle your seatbelt. He helped you inside, your good arm wrapped around his shoulders while his arm around your waist held you up. You could feel Boss beside you. He didn't say anything as you were checked in. You furrowed your brow at the hospital staff as they stared at him with wide, fearful eyes. He'd practically saved your life, dammit. He was probably a good guy. Short-tempered, sure, but good.

You were taken back to triage and asked the usual questions. You felt words tumbling out of your mouth, but you couldn't even understand yourself. What the fuck was going on? Sans was there beside you to interpret.

"Why is she incoherent? Was she drugged?"

What? No, of course you weren't drugged! You felt Sans move beside you and looked to see him rubbing the back of his neck.

"uh, no, but i kinda gave 'er a little magic to take the pain away. i think i overdid it."

Oh.

"SANS, THAT'S DANGEROUS!"

You nearly jumped at the sound of Boss' booming voice. So did the nurse. You tried to wave a hand to dismiss the concern, but pain shot up your arm. You realized you'd tried to use the broken one. Oops.

"i know, boss; i'm sorry."

"Were you two with her when this happened?"

You nodded, and you heard Sans confirm it verbally. She still directed her questions to you but took Sans' answers after you nodded to let her know they were truthful.

Afterward, you were taken to a hospital bed and told to change into a gown from the waist up. You knew you wouldn't be able to do that on your own, but you also knew you couldn't ask your new skeleton friends to help you. Sans looked downright terrified at the prospect. You noticed Boss roll his eyes as he kicked Sans out of the room.

"CALM DOWN, Y/N. I'VE SEEN WORSE IN BATTLE; YOUR WOUNDS ARE NOTHING TO ME."

Your wounds weren't exactly what you didn't want him to see. He was surprisingly gentle as he helped you out of your tank top and bra. He then helped you slip your arms into the gown and closed a few of the snaps behind your back.

"I WAS ONE OF THE FEW ON THE BATTLEFIELD THAT COULD USE HEALING MAGIC. I HELPED MANY SOLDIERS, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, WHEN THEY NEEDED ME. YOU HAVE NOTHING I HAVEN'T ALREADY SEEN."

He helped you lie back before he went to let Sans back in. Sans came in with a blanket and a soda in his hands. He spread the blanket out over you and then sat in a chair to drink his soda.

You looked between the skeletons for a moment.

"So you're brothers?" you asked.

Well, you thought you asked.

Sans chuckled. "i wouldn't try to talk much, sugar. you're still incoherent."

"YES, WE'RE BROTHERS."

Both you and Sans looked at Boss. He shrugged. "YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND INCOHERENCY WHEN YOU'RE THE CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD."

You smiled, but you secretly wondered if he'd just paid more attention to what you were saying. It was cute. He was cute. No, he was hot. Like, really hot. Especially in that fucking uniform. Yeah, you'd like to fuck him in that uniform.

Wait. What?! You shook your head and looked up at the ceiling. You decided it would be best to not speak for fear of what you'd let slip.

A while later, the doctor finally came in to examine your arm. You were sent to get an X-Ray and nearly laughed when both Sans and Boss wanted to witness that happening. Sans lamented, saying he was hoping to see the machine that gave a live feed of the image. You wanted to tell him such machines didn't exist, but you chose to keep it to yourself.

Back in your ER room, the doctor explained the extent of the injury and showed you the X-Rays. Sans seemed more interested in the images than Boss, but you could still see a light of curiosity in his eyes. You were told you the bone needed to be set and that you'd get a cast.

The magic that Sans had given to you was starting to wear off when the doctors came in to set your arm. You squeezed Boss' hand with your good one while they did what they needed to.

The casting process took a long time. Your body was wrapped in a sheet that left your shoulders bare so the technicians could reach what they needed. Once casted, your arm was put into a sling to keep it close to your body. Boss helped you back into your clothes when you were finished. You were given some instructions and a prescription for painkillers.

After you were finally discharged, you were a little surprised to see it was still dark outside. It felt like you'd been in there for days. In reality, you'd been in the hospital for three hours.

"What time is it?" You asked.

Sans pulled out his phone. "three-fifty." He sucked in a yawn. "and I gotta work in a few hours."

"I'm sorry."

"NONSENSE. YOU SHOULDN'T APOLOGIZE FOR THINGS THAT AREN'T YOUR FAULT."

"Well, maybe if I hadn't been stupid, this wouldn't have happened."

He shrugged. "PERHAPS; ALTHOUGH I THINK THE FUCKER THAT HURT YOU WAS THE STUPID ONE. YOU WERE MERELY WALKING TO YOUR CAR."

That made you smile. "How did you guys get to me so fast?" You could have sworn they were nowhere near you when you screamed.

"i can teleport. heard a scream and went after it."

You nodded, taking in that information. "Okay."

The drive back to your car seemed longer than the drive to the hospital had been. You were nearly asleep when they finally pulled into the deserted parking lot.

"i'm gonna drive you home," Sans said, digging through your bag. "where're your keys?"

"You don't need to do that."

"OF COURSE HE DOES. HE'S NOT DRIVING MY CAR, AND YOU SHOULDN'T DRIVE WITH THE PAINKILLERS THE HOSPITAL GAVE YOU."

You grimaced. He had a point. "Fine."

Everyone piled out of the car and Sans gave you your bag to find your keys. Once you did, you handed them to him and gingerly rested the strap of the bag on your good shoulder. You turned to Boss.

"Thank you for everything today, Captain."

He looked slightly shaken. "YOU'RE WELCOME, Y/N."

"I'm not gonna call you Captain or Boss all the time; what's your real name?"

You heard Sans chuckle. Boss cleared his throat. "PAPYRUS."

What an adorable name. You decided not to say that and congratulated yourself on your smart decision.

"Alright. Thank you, Papyrus. I'll see you around?"

"OF COURSE. I EXPECT YOU HOME IN AN HOUR, SANS."

"That might not happen. I, uh…I kinda live two towns over. It's gonna take us an hour to get there. And I need to pick up this prescription." You winced a little, certain these skeleton boys were gonna be done with your needy ass by the end of the night. You were a little surprised they weren't already.

"OKAY. AN HOUR AND A HALF."

Sans nodded. "sure thing, boss."

You got in the car and watched Papyrus speed away. You gave Sans your address and watched as he put it into his GPS. You tried to stay awake for the ride, but soon the music on the radio and the soft movements of the car lulled you into a deep sleep.

You woke up when Sans parked. He carried your bag inside for you.

"Thank you for everything, Sans. I really mean it."

He smiled. "anytime, sugar. and, hey, will you do me a favor?"

You nodded. "Sure. What is it?"

"will you call boss sometime tomorrow?"

Your brow furrowed. "Okay, but why? And why do you call him Boss?"

"call him 'cause he could use it. and that's a story for another time. catch ya later." He gave you a wink before he disappeared.

Literally. Disappeared. Right in front of your freaking eyes. You closed your eyes tightly for a second before you remembered what he'd said about teleporting. Weird. Cool, but weird.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you learn something new about the Captain and there is an impromptu sleepover.

You were more than a little pissed.

Your job sucked. Your boss wanted you to pick up a few extra shifts. That, in itself, wasn't too bad, but the fact that those shifts were back to back meant you were working twelve-hour shifts for three days in a row. You were pretty sure that was illegal. What could you do about it, though? You could call in or decline the offer to take the shifts, but you really did need the money.

Your apartment sucked. You had slacked on the cleaning while your arm healed, and now it seemed impossible to catch up. You knew you should have done better. You still had to wear a stabilizer to bed, but at least the cast was gone. Showering with that thing was a fucking nightmare.

Your friends sucked. They were all over you after they found out your arm was broken, but it didn't last long. You got a few signatures and some art drawn on the cast to make it prettier. It had lifted your spirits until you looked in the mirror one day and saw a tiny scribble on the back of the cast. One of your friends had jotted a little note that you were likely not ever supposed to have seen. It said, 'you probably deserved this, you slut.' You weren't sure which of your friends had written it, but it hurt.

So now here you were, sitting in your dirty apartment after what felt like a three-day bender at work. You were so tired, but restless at the same time. You wanted to get out of this place. You wanted to spend time with people who you knew didn't judge you behind your back.

And so you picked up your phone and texted Sans.

_**You:** _ _What are you doing tonight?_

You waited for fifteen minutes before he finally responded.

_**Sans:** _ _workin'_

_**You:** _ _What time to do you get off? Don't you work early mornings?_

_**Sans:** _ _shift varies. get off at midnight._

Dammit. With a sigh, you texted again.

_**You:** _ _Dang; I was hoping for a movie night or something._

_**Sans:** _ _call boss. he'll be down._

You thought about that for a moment. During the last three months, you and Sans had become great friends. He was funny and so much smarter than he let on. His brother on the other hand…he was an enigma. He had insisted on being there with Sans anytime you hung out in the first month, but he rarely said anything. When he did speak, he was as hotheaded as he'd ever been. You realized pretty quickly that he didn't actually want to spend time with you but was only there to protect his brother should you decide to be an ass and hurt him. You'd confronted him, insulted that anyone would think you were no better than a fucking racist, and it had caused a big fight. As terrifying as it was to see Papyrus really angry, you didn't back down. Eventually, Sans had gotten in the middle of it and pulled the two of you apart. That was the last time Papyrus had joined his brother at your hangouts.

It wasn't the last time you saw him, though. Anytime Sans invited you over for a movie or whatever, he was there. At first, you had been prepared to stand up for yourself again, but he never mentioned the fight. You decided not to either, and it gave you a chance to start to get to know him better.

You'd never had any reason to ask to hang out with him alone, though. After a few moments of deliberation, you shrugged and texted Papyrus.

_**You:** _ _Whatcha doing?_

_**Captain Tantrum:** _ _Cooking dinner._

_**You:** _ _Want some company?_

_**Captain Tantrum:** _ _I suppose I could entertain you._

How gracious of him.

_**You:** _ _Cool. I'm on my way._

You grabbed your purse and headed out the door.

* * *

The house smelled utterly divine when Papyrus let you in. You took a moment to appreciate it before you said anything. As hard as you tried, you couldn't place the scent. It had a sharp spiciness to it while at the same time managed to be smooth and citrusy.

"What are you making?" you finally asked as you followed him into the kitchen.

"PINEAPPLE CHICKEN STIR FRY," he answered stiffly.

"Mm, it smells delicious."

"OF COURSE IT DOES; I'M AN EXCELLENT CHEF."

You half-assed rolled your eyes at his comment. Let it never be said that Papyrus was a humble skeleton. Instead of bitching about it, you stood silently and watched him finish cooking the meal. Watching him really was fascinating. The way his hands moved had you mesmerized for a moment.

"DID YOU NEED SOMETHING?" he asked after several minutes of quiet.

You shook your head and yawned. "No, not really. I just wanted to get out of the house. My apartment's a wreck and I feel like I haven't seen any of my friends in over a week thanks to my job taking up all of my time. I'm finally done with the overtime my boss asked me to work, though, and I have tomorrow off, so I figured I'd come spend time with my best pal."

Your best pal was actually at work, but Papyrus was acceptable. You just were never really sure where you stood with him. Did he tolerate you, or did he hate your guts? The looks he'd give you seemed to be a mix of the two. At least he wasn't a two-faced asshole who pretended to be your friend only to say that you deserved to have your arm broken by someone who fully intended on raping you and probably leaving you for dead.

Papyrus hummed in a way that told you he doubted the honesty of your words. "TRY AGAIN. I KNOW I'M NOT YOUR BEST PAL."

You feigned emotional hurt, gasping theatrically and placing a hand over your chest. "I'm appalled that you think I would lie to you."

He put the spoon he was stirring with down and turned to you, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'M APPALLED THAT YOU THINK I CAN'T TELL WHEN YOU'RE LYING. TRY AGAIN—WHY ARE YOU HERE?"

You huffed. Maybe coming out to spend time with someone as brash as Papyrus when you were in such a rotten mood was a bad idea. "Everything I said was true, except I texted my best pal and he's at work. He suggested I bug you instead." You shrugged, shoving down a wave of annoyance.

That seemed to placate him. He hummed again, this time accepting your words, and turned back to the stove. "I SUPPOSE I SHOULDN'T BE SURPRISED THAT SANS TOLD YOU TO COME OUT."

There was something in his tone that you couldn't place. It almost seemed as if he was disappointed. You shook your head to get rid of the thought. "We should watch a movie while we eat," you suggested.

To your surprise, he didn't argue with you. "GO PICK SOMETHING OUT. PLEASE REFRAIN FROM CHOOSING ONE OF SANS' IDIOTIC COMEDIES."

"Well, since you asked so nicely, I suppose I can do that. Any specific genre you  _do_  want to watch?" You honestly weren't a fan of Sans' choice in comedies anyway. It seemed they purposefully tried to offend as many people as possible. You preferred humor that didn't come at another person's expense.

"YOU'RE THE GUEST, SO YOU DECIDE."

Ugh, he was no help. Instead of picking a fight over movie genres, you let out an annoyed huff and went to browse the brothers' movie collection. What did you want to watch? With the mood you were in, you almost felt like choosing the most horrifically bloody and gory movie you could find. It felt like a sign when your eyes landed on the title  _Saw_. You hadn't seen it in a long time, but you remembered that you had liked it. You weren't entirely sure how the skeletons felt about such things, but obviously they were okay with it if they owned the movie. You figured it probably belonged to Sans.

Before you could talk yourself out of it, you plucked it out of the cabinet and turned on the TV. You hollered to Papyrus, asking if it was okay. You were a little shocked to hear the enthusiasm in his response.

"YES! THAT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES."

_Really?_

Well, you learn something new every day, dontcha?

As you got the movie set up, Papyrus came out to the living room carrying a tray with two plates and two glasses of milk. You graciously took yours, realizing that you were far hungrier than you first thought. You had to smile at the way Papyrus had set up the plates. A perfect pile of white rice topped lovingly with the stir fry and a pinch of sesame seeds sprinkled on top. It honestly looked like it would be served in a restaurant.

"Thank you," you said, smiling as the two of you sat down on the couch. He just nodded and picked up the remote to start the movie.

You groaned after you took a bite. "Oh man, this is so good!" You couldn't help it. You knew the praise would just go straight to his already oversized ego, but you couldn't remember the last time you'd eaten something so tasty. The spiciness made your mouth tingle in the best way. You made sure to nurse your milk so you'd have enough to last the whole meal.

About a half an hour into the movie, you realized how weird it must be to eat while watching it. You honestly didn't care; gore and violence had never really affected you that much. You glanced over at Papyrus to see that he'd finished his plate. It obviously didn't bother him either.

You finished the last few bites of your dinner, then curled up on the couch to watch the rest of the movie. Papyrus commented a few times on the different traps used and how ingenious he thought they were. You were a little surprised when he said he'd used something similar to the barbed wire one before.

Your brow furrowed. "What do you mean you used it before?"

He glanced at you warily before speaking. "AS A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD, IT WAS MY DUTY TO CAPTURE HUMANS AND TAKE THEM TO THE KING. YOU MUST REMEMBER THAT WE WERE ALL DESPERATE TO GET OUT OF THE UNDERGROUND, AND HUMAN SOULS WERE THE ONLY WAY WE COULD BREAK THE BARRIER. BEFORE I BECAME CAPTAIN, IT WAS MY JOB TO LAY TRAPS. I USED SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THE BARBED WIRE TRAP IN THE MOVIE ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. IT WAS VERY EFFECTIVE." He kept glancing at you as he spoke, probably wondering if you were going to get upset.

You weren't upset. You couldn't even imagine being trapped under a mountain with only one grisly means of escape. Somehow, it made you think of the Amanda character in the reverse bear trap. If she hadn't killed the dude with the key in his stomach, she would have died. Did it mean it was all morally fine and dandy? No. But you weren't going to fault the monsters for doing what they felt was necessary to get out. Besides, it wasn't like humans had never done anything bad before. You could count out at least five different human groups and individuals alike who had done far worse than killing out of necessity.

You smiled and put a hand on Papyrus' arm. "I bet you're glad to be out." Probably a stupid thing to say, but you weren't sure what else to say.

He didn't say anything back. He did, however, make more comments as the movie progressed. As the movie ended, he declared that he had known all along who the bad guy was. You didn't remind him that he knew only because he'd seen it before. The ending had shocked the hell out of you the first time you'd seen it. It was probably one of the best twists in a movie you'd seen in a long while.

After the movie was over, you insisted on helping Papyrus clean up. You had predicted he'd put up a fight, but you were pleasantly surprised when he accepted your help. He only fussed a few times over how you chose to wash dishes and ultimately decided that clean was clean.

"What should we do now?" you asked after everything had been put away.

Papyrus stood in the living room and shrugged at you. "DO YOU STILL REQUIRE ENTERTAINMENT?"

You couldn't help but smile at his wording. "Yes, I do." You were caught off guard by a huge yawn, and suddenly you were exhausted. "Whoa, holy shit." You swayed a little. "Okay, maybe I don't. Maybe I'd better go home and sleep."

Papyrus was right next to you, shocking you a little as his large hands rested on your shoulders. "ARE YOU SURE YOU SHOULD BE DRIVING LIKE THIS? YOU LOOK READY TO PASS OUT."

"What, and stay here?" You snorted. That wasn't even close to an option. Not only would Sans make some stupid joke about you sleeping with his brother (you could hear it now, and it already pissed you off), but there was no way in hell Papyrus would actually be okay with that. You were pretty certain now that he tolerated you, but something in the way he was currently scowling at you told you he hoped you left soon.

"WE HAVE A SPARE BEDROOM YOU CAN USE."

You looked up and studied his face for a moment. His sharp teeth were set in a deep scowl and his red pupils stayed fixed on your face. He still stood holding onto your arms, and you noticed the way his fingers twitched against your skin.

"Are you sure? You don't look particularly thrilled with the idea of me staying over."

His scowl deepened and his eye lights dropped. "I'M NOT, BUT I'D RATHER YOU STAY THAN GET YOURSELF KILLED BY FALLING ASLEEP WHILE DRIVING."

He had a point. And  _Jesus_ , you were tired. Crawling into a bed sounded heavenly at the moment. "I don't have anything to sleep in." You were pretty sure you didn't actually care about that. You could just slip your jeans off and sleep in your shirt. The guest bedroom was bound to have a door you could at least shut, if not lock, and you trusted your skeleton friends to not be creeps.

"I'M SURE YOU COULD BORROW SOMETHING OF SANS'. THEY MIGHT BE BIG ON YOU, BUT THEY'D SUFFICE FOR ONE NIGHT."

He finally pulled his hands back only to walk away toward the stairs. He stopped halfway up and turned to look at you. He gestured for you to follow, so you did. You felt weird about going in Sans' room without him there, so you waited out in the hall for Papyrus to get you something. You also felt weird about borrowing his clothes without his permission. You smiled and thanked Papyrus after he handed you a red shirt and a pair of black track pants, then he showed you to the guest bedroom. It was next to Sans', and you wondered if the room on the other side of the hall was Papyrus'. You shut the door behind you and pulled out your phone.

_**You:** _ _Hey, so apparently, I'm staying the night? I'm fucking exhausted and your brother doesn't want me driving home._

You waited for a moment, hoping he'd be able to text back quickly. Luckily, it only took a few minutes.

_**Sans:** _ _boss don't need my permission to have a friend over, y'know._

_**You:** _ _I know that, but…anyway. He said I could borrow some of your clothes to sleep in. Is that okay?_

_**Sans:** _ _yeah_

You got changed and marveled at how the clothes fit you. A skeleton normally wore these pants…a skeleton with no freaking waist. You suddenly wondered how his pants stayed up at all. Or Papyrus' pants; he had slender hips. You had to fight to keep your mind from going to the image of him in his Royal Guard uniform. Damn, he was hot.  _Too hot. Hot damn._

You nearly giggled at yourself. Instead, you folded your clothes neatly and laid them next to the bed, then went to tell Papyrus good night.

He was downstairs locking the door. You waited while he unlocked, locked, and checked each window to make sure it was secure. You didn't have to ask why he did that. Old habits probably died pretty hard, and from what you had learned, the underground had been less than kind to the monsters.

"Goodnight, Papyrus," you said as he finished up the last window.

He gave you a perplexing look, then something that might have been a smile crossed his face. "GOODNIGHT, Y/N. DO YOU NEED ANYTHING ELSE?"

"No, I'm good. I'll see you in the morning."

He gave a curt nod and left to probably check the back door. You left him to it and went back upstairs.

You felt like weeping for joy as you slipped into the bed. Exhaustion got the better of you, and you fell asleep quickly.

* * *

It felt like only minutes later when you were woken up by a loud thump. You were disoriented for a moment before you remembered where you were and why. Rubbing your right eye, you sat up. Everything was so quiet for a few minutes you could hear the crickets outside. After another moment, however, there was another loud thump followed by what sounded like something scraping down the wall. It was coming from the wall that separated the spare room and Sans' room.

You figured it must just be him doing whatever he does when he gets home from work. As you laid back down to get comfortable again, your eye caught the clock on the table beside the bed. It was four o'clock in the morning. You'd gone to bed at eleven. He had mentioned that he got off work at midnight and usually just teleported home, so he hadn't just gotten home.

Something in your gut churned. You had no reason to be concerned; everything was fine. And yet, after another thump on the wall, you found yourself sitting up. You climbed out of bed, head foggy and still so drained. Before you'd made it halfway to the door, you heard something else. Another door opened, and footsteps creaked down the hall, past your door. There was a soft knock on Sans' door before it opened.

"Sans?"

Wow. So Papyrus  _did_  know how to speak softly. Who knew?

"hey, bro." Sans' voice sounded so different, too. He sounded weak, tired. Just as exhausted as you felt.

"More nightmares?"

A whimper answered the question. Poor guy. The realization that he was probably dreaming about things you couldn't even comprehend made you feel like you might cry. The monsters had likened the underground to hell, and you doubted it was much of an overstatement after you'd heard Sans talk about it. Just the idea that Papyrus had used a barbed wire trap to kill humans told you how ruthless it must have been.

"Do you want to stay in here?"

Another whimper. He must have said no, because two pairs of footsteps shuffled back down the hall. Aw, he was going to sleep with his brother. That was cute. And sad. And, honestly, the idea of Papyrus cuddling Sans to make him feel safe made your stomach do funny things. He truly was a good brother, even if he was a bit of a dick sometimes.

You realized after a moment that you were still standing in the middle of the room. You sucked in a yawn, stretched, and turned to climb back into bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for giving this story a chance. 
> 
> Come hang out with me on Tumblr! Sheewolf85.tumblr.com   
> I reblog cool Undertale stuff (among other things) and sometimes post shit.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you have trouble keeping your hands to yourself.

You woke up again at eight-thirty feeling more rested. You laid in bed for a few minutes, stretching the sleep from your muscles. Your arm ached, and you realized you hadn't worn your stabilizer to bed. It was at home, so you didn't have much of a choice. After a huge yawn, you finally managed to drag yourself out of bed. You changed back into your clothes and folded Sans', setting them on the bed before you left the room. You visited the bathroom before you made your way downstairs.

Once again, the house smelled heavenly. This time, you recognized the smell as pancakes and eggs. Papyrus was in the kitchen busying himself with cooking.

You took a moment to just look at him. He was wearing an outfit similar to the one he'd been wearing when you first saw him at the mall. It was a shame you had been too focused on his attitude to notice just how good he looked, because damn, that boy could rock some leather pants. You couldn't help but notice how the tops of his hips peeked out the top. The t-shirt he was wearing was shorter than the one he'd been in before, and you could see his spine creeping up from his pants. It was bordering on obscene how desperately you wanted to touch him.

"WHY ARE YOU STARING AT ME?"

His voice startled you, and you looked up to see him scowling at you. You were beginning to think that was just his face. You had been told you had a resting bitch face; maybe he had a resting scowl face. The thought amused you.

You cleared your throat. "I, um…I don't know. I'm sorry."

"I UNDERSTAND I HAVE AN EXCELLENT PHYSIQUE, Y/N, BUT IT'S RUDE TO STARE. PLEASE CONTROL YOURSELF."

Okay then. He had either picked up on your thoughts or he was just that narcissistic that he thought everyone had a crush on him. It really could go either way.

"Is Sans still asleep?"

"YES, BUT I'LL BE WAKING HIM UP SHORTLY. ARE YOU HUNGRY?"

You watched him expertly flip the pancake in the pan. His hands had you just as mesmerized as they had the night before. You told yourself it was because he was a skeleton and watching bare phalanges move the way they did was interesting. In reality, you were just fascinated with him. You didn't want to concede that you had a crush on Captain Tantrum.

"Yes, I am."

"GOOD. GO SET THE TABLE; BREAKFAST WILL BE READY SOON."

You did as you were told, carefully laying out three place settings. Sans and Papyrus came in a few minutes later. Sans was in an oversized red t-shirt and black sweat shorts. He still wore the collar; you had never once seen him without it. You had tried to ask him about it once, but he just said it was a fashion statement. You knew that wasn't the real reason, but you didn't push it. He grunted a greeting at you as he passed, on his way to the kitchen. He came back with a mug of coffee.

Papyrus came in a second later with two large plates and set them down in the middle of the table. One held a mound of eggs and the other held a large stack of pancakes. Sans didn't hesitate; he immediately took three pancakes from the stack and scooped up a large portion of the eggs. Papyrus indicated that you should go next, so you did. You made sure to leave enough eggs for him and only took two pancakes.

"delicious as usual, boss," Sans said through a mouthful of food.

Papyrus scowled at him. "WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT SPEAKING WITH YOUR MOUTH FULL?"

"ta not to." Sans still spoke through his food.

You couldn't help but snicker a little. At times like these, they seemed more like parent and child. It made you wonder about their parents. As far as you knew, they were the only two skeleton monsters to come out of the underground. The thought that they may have lost their parents at some point made you sad.

"DO YOU WANT SOMETHING TO DRINK, Y/N?" Papyrus asked.

You eyed Sans' mug. "Um…can I have some coffee?"

"HELP YOURSELF."

You nodded and went to get a mug. After adding sugar and creamer, you made your way back to the table. Your arm was really starting to ache badly now, but you brushed it aside. You still had a few painkillers left, and you figured you'd put your stabilizer on and take one when you got home.

After breakfast, you went into the living room with Sans to hang out with him for a while. You talked about the movie you and Papyrus had watched the night before, and you mentioned what he had said about the traps.

Sans winced. "yeah, it was hard on him. i think he pretended the traps were something humans could get out of if they tried hard enough. it made it easier to deal with the aftermath."

You nodded. "I didn't ask last night, but why does he like the movie if it makes him think of what he did?"

"it ain't that. boss is a master at puzzles and traps 'n shit. the creativity that went into designing those traps is why he likes it."

That made sense. You hadn't realized you'd been rubbing your arm until Sans put his hand over yours and asked if you were okay.

"Yeah, I'm all right. My arm just aches a little. I didn't have my brace with me last night." You shrugged, and the movement hurt.

"i could heal it, if you want?"

You didn't even hesitate to nod, silently begging him to heal you. Not only did you want to know what that was like, you were sick and tired of having to baby the damn thing all the time.

He pushed your hand out of the way and laid his palm against your arm, right over the place it had been broken. Underneath his bones, your arm began softly glowing a comforting green. It was warm, but not hot. Your muscles immediately relaxed, and all of the pain disappeared. You hadn't realized just how badly it ached until the pain was gone, and you couldn't even stop a little moan of relief from escaping your throat.

"Wow, thank you Sans."

He smiled. "anytime, sugar."

"WHAT IS GOING ON IN HERE?"

The sudden, loud voice startled you, and you turned to see Papyrus standing in the entryway from the kitchen, his arms folded across his chest.

"her arm was hurtin' 'er, so i healed it." Sans shrugged as he spoke, clearly not thinking it was a big deal.

But Papyrus scowled. It was odd, watching his mouth turn down even further than it already was. A crease appeared between his brow bones.

"HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE YOU USED HEALING MAGIC, SANS?" He all but yelled. "HOW CAN YOU BE SURE IT WORKED?"

You moved your arm around a little and looked back over at the taller skeleton. "It doesn't hurt anymore, so that's a good sign, right?"

"COME HERE," he demanded, one hand pointing at the floor directly in front of him.

You looked at Sans, who nodded at you. With a sigh, you got up and went to stand in front of Papyrus.

"What?" You crossed your arms and told yourself not to think about how close you actually were to him. You could reach out and touch his hip bones. If you were fast enough (and brave enough), you could probably grab a feel of his spine, too. You quickly abandoned that thought; you could hardly even believe you'd thought about groping him without his permission.

His large hands went to rest on the tops of your arms, just below your shoulders. "WHICH ARM WAS BROKEN?" he asked.

You raised your right shoulder. "This one."

He nodded and let his right hand drop, his left remaining on your right arm. Beneath his long fingers, your arm began to glow green again. It was brighter and a little warmer than the glow Sans had produced, but there was no rush of relief. You figured it was because you had already been healed.

"Sans already did this," you said flatly.

"HUSH. IT NEEDS TO BE DONE RIGHT."

You scoffed. "Why do you doubt your brother's ability to heal me, or me when I said I felt better? This is doing nothing for me." You shrugged away from him and tried to ignore the obvious hurt in his eye sockets. Instead, you looked over at Sans. He looked a little sad, and you hated to think it was because of his brother's doubts. Without looking back at Papyrus, you walked over to sit back on the couch.

A moment later, Sans cleared his throat. You looked up at him expectantly.

"you should'a let him heal ya." His voice was quiet like he was trying to keep his brother from hearing him.

That was a surprise. "Why? He literally said you didn't do it right even though I know you did."

He nodded and sucked in a deep breath. "yeah, i know, but…boss is a good guy, okay? sometimes he just needs to be reminded of that."

You weren't entirely sure what he meant by that, but somehow your thoughts turned to the traps he'd set in the underground. A part of you couldn't blame him for wanting to make sure it was done right, but another part wondered why he even cared that much. You were just a human; his brother's friend. Although you knew Papyrus tolerated you, you were highly doubtful that he actually cared about you.

A clang in the kitchen told you where Papyrus was right now. You sighed and looked at Sans. "Should I go apologize?"

Sans shrugged. "hard to tell how he'd take that. if you wanna try, start small and if he gets snippy just leave 'im alone."

You nodded, taking the advice to heart before you made your way to the kitchen. Papyrus was looming over the sink, staring down at the dishes the way you might suspect he'd stare down an enemy as he scrubbed them clean with near violent strokes.

"Papyrus?"

He just grunted at you. You figured that wasn't getting snippy, so you ventured forward a few small steps.

"Um…Can I apologize?" You settled your hip against the counter next to the sink and looked up into his face. He looked at you, his usual scowl turned up even further into something that looked like disgust.

"FOR WHAT?"

"You were just trying to help me, and I was rude." You didn't really believe that. You wanted to stand your ground that he was the rude one and that he should trust his brother. "So…thank you, I guess, for trying to help."

His gaze softened and he turned back to the dishes. For a long moment, he didn't say anything, but just his movements and less fervent washing told you he was calmer.

"I SHOULD HAVE ASKED BEFORE I TOUCHED YOU."

You wanted to agree with that statement even though him touching you wasn't what had upset you. Instead, you shifted your weight and picked up a towel to start drying dishes.

"Breakfast was delicious, by the way. Thank you for feeding me. Again."

Papyrus' mouth twitched in something that could have been a smile. "YOU'RE WELCOME."

You couldn't help but smirk. "What, no reminder about how great a chef you are?" You reached out an elbow and gently nudged his arm.

You were almost surprised when he actually laughed—a tiny chuckle that might have been mistaken for a cough under different circumstances. "DOES THAT REALLY NEED REMINDING AFTER YOU'VE EATEN TWO OF MY EXCELLENTLY PREPARED MEALS?"

"No, I guess not."

The two of you were silent for a while as you continued to dry the dishes. You weren't sure where they went, so you were stacking them on the counter as you finished. There weren't many dishes to begin with, so the task was completed quickly. Papyrus took the stacks of dry dishes and put them away. You paid attention to where he put them so you might remember in the future.

The two of you walked out to the living room together only to find Sans napping on the couch. You couldn't help but smile tenderly at the way-too-cute image of his sleeping face and his soft snores. You were about to say something about it when you remembered what had happened last night. Without thinking too much about it, you walked over and pulled the folded blanket off the back of the couch and gingerly laid it over him.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Papyrus asked, his voice only barely quieter than usual.

You shrugged as you tucked the blanket around the sleeping skeleton's form. "He didn't sleep well last night; he must be tired."

"HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?"

You went back over to stand next to Papyrus and smiled once again at Sans. "I woke up when I heard something last night, then I heard you talking to him; something about nightmares. I know I don't sleep well when I have nightmares." Those nights usually left you craving naps during the day, too.

Papyrus was oddly quiet for a long moment, and you looked up to see a shocking amount of red glow on his cheekbones. You chose not to say anything about it, nervous to spark his short temper. Instead, you took a deep breath and changed the subject.

"I should probably head home. Thank you again for everything, Papyrus."

His eye lights snapped to your face, and for a very brief moment, you could have sworn you saw disappointment cross his features. He recovered quickly, however, his face going back to its regular scowl.

"YES, YOU PROBABLY SHOULD." He hesitated on something, and you chose to wait and see if he'd spit it out. Your patience was rewarded a few minutes later. "YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME OVER AGAIN IF YOU REQUIRE EXCEPTIONAL COMPANIONSHIP IN THE FUTURE."

You couldn't help but snicker. "Thank you; I might take you up on that offer. Tell Sans I said thanks, too, and to get some rest."

He nodded. "I WILL." Again, he hesitated. The wait wasn't nearly as long this time; only a few seconds passed before he spoke again. "PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE MADE IT HOME SAFELY."

The request was a little shocking, but you agreed nonetheless.

You hadn't brought much with you the night before, so it was a quick process gathering your things. Somehow it felt awkward to just leave. Had Sans been awake, he would have walked you out to your car. Papyrus was still near the entrance to the room, his hands clasped together behind his back. He stood stoic, his spine straight and stiff as if he was keeping watch over his sleeping brother. You waived at him, and he gave you a terse nod in return.

You left then, shutting the door behind you and making your way to your car. The drive home was long and lonely. When you walked into your apartment, the reminder of how much cleaning you had to do was unwelcome. At the same time, you had the energy and you felt great, so instead of lamenting on how much work there was to do, you texted Papyrus to let him know you were home, put on some music, and got started.

A few hours later, your apartment was spotless. A part of you wondered if the healing magic you'd gotten earlier had anything to do with your energy levels. Regardless, you were near ecstatic to realize that your arm didn't even ache a little bit. You took a quick shower and changed into some lounge clothes before making a sandwich for dinner—you found yourself briefly wondering what Papyrus was making—and sat back on the couch to watch some TV before bed.

As you ate and tried to focus on the mindless show, you found your thoughts wandering to Papyrus. You thought about the night before and how he'd held your arms and stared at you. You thought of that morning when you ogled him in the kitchen and again when you were tempted to touch him. He sure was moody sometimes, but Sans was right—he was a good guy. He obviously cared about you in some form, otherwise he wouldn't have been concerned if you drove the night before or if you'd made it home safely.

You were still confused about the whole healing thing. The night your arm had been broken, he'd wanted Sans to do the healing. He didn't even offer to try. Not that it bothered you; you believed Sans when he said the break was too bad for magic to heal it. At the same time, his refusal to believe that Sans could heal what little progress remained seemed suspicious. Perhaps he had wanted to be the one to heal you.

The thought made you chuckle. Even if that were true, you knew without a doubt that it would only have been because his brother was tired. Maybe using magic like that after a restless night was not good for Sans' health. Or, maybe he was concerned that Sans' fatigue had impaired his ability to wield the magic.

You gave up trying to figure it out. Whatever the reason, you were slowly coming to terms with the fact that you had a major crush on Captain Tantrum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would anybody be interested in Boss or Sans' point of view on some of these scenes? I wouldn't write the whole thin from their POV, but a few key scenes are begging me to write them. If you're interested, please let me know either in a comment or over on Tumblr, and also if there are any scenes in particular you would want from their POV.
> 
> My tumblr is sheewolf85.tumblr.com. Come frolic with me. I reblog cool Undertale stuff (among other things) and sometimes post stuff.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sans is not surprised in the least and Boss gets an invitation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit. 
> 
> You guys. 
> 
> The response to whether anyone wanted Papyrus' POV was overwhelmingly yes. I got a few specific requests, and I'll be replying to comments soon, but you guys....you guys love Paps as much as I do and it makes me so happy. 
> 
> Check out The Captain and the Damsel for Papyrus' POV of him and the reader meeting at the festival, and the subsequent hospital adventure. Sans has a bit to say as well. 
> 
> Also, come hang out with me on Tumblr. Sheewolf85.tumblr.com

It was your break at work. You sat at one of the tables in the break room and sighed as you flipped through the pictures on your phone that you'd taken of Papyrus over the last few months. You stopped on the one with Sans and Papyrus at the festival. That had been almost six months ago. After your first impromptu sleepover at the skeleton brother's house and admitting to yourself that you had a crush on Papyrus, you had gone back and forth between wanting to tell him and wanting to never speak to him again.

He was just so…temperamental. One day he would be somewhat nice to you, and the next he'd either avoid you or snap at you like you annoyed the shit out of him.

Sans tried to tell you that it was just how his brother was, but you were pretty sure you didn't want to get into a relationship with someone so volatile.

You had yet to actually tell Sans about your crush. A part of you was worried that he'd just tell Papyrus and you would be forced to deal with the situation before you were ready. He would probably keep the secret if you told him how important it was to you, but then he'd likely tease you to the point of regretting saying anything at all.

He really did know his brother best, however. He would be an invaluable source of advice for handling Papyrus' mood swings and temper tantrums. There was a small part of you that hoped Papyrus' moodiness—when it came to you anyway—was because he liked you back but didn't know how to deal with that. His history with humans was not the best, and you could see where a romantic interest in a human could be confusing and frustrating for him.

All the same, you really hated it when he yelled at you over something trivial like how you buttered your toast.

Break over, you groaned and got up, put your phone in your pocket, and headed back to work. As your day progressed, you decided that you should talk to Sans. Even if he did tease you, you couldn't keep going around this same circle with Papyrus forever. Something needed to give, and you doubted Papyrus would be the first to break.

When you got home after work, you made some dinner and watched some TV, then took a long, hot bath and thought about how you were going to tell Sans that you were interested in dating his brother. Once clean and relaxed, and with a plan in place, you got out and dressed in comfy pajamas. After drying your hair and doing your nightly personal care routine, you took your phone and went to lie down in bed. You texted Sans to ask when you two could get together for lunch or a movie night. He was free Friday night. Perfect. Plans set, you plugged your phone in and slipped under the covers.

* * *

Friday couldn't come soon enough. You suffered through your day at work and texted Sans to make sure your plans were still on. After work, you headed out to spend some time with your best friend.

Through Sans, you had met many other monsters and had made some other great friends. You still held on to your friendships from before you met the brothers, but you couldn't help what you felt when you hung out with Sans. He could be crude and insensitive at times, but you truly felt comfortable around him like you were meant to know him. If there were such things as platonic soulmates, Sans was yours.

A part of you wondered why you couldn't have developed a crush on him instead. It would have been easier to deal with than crushing on a monster you were sure could only stand your presence half the time. All the same, you just didn't feel anything romantic toward Sans at all. You had tried. The thought of kissing him made you feel the same as the thought of kissing a sibling—gross.

You met up with him at a restaurant near your house. You almost felt bad for having him come all the way out, but he was quick to remind you that he could teleport; there was no such thing as a commute for him. The place was open twenty-four-seven and served some of the best coffee you'd had in a while. You both ordered some food and settled into an easy conversation after the waiter left.

Halfway through your meal, you finally decided you'd better bring up what you wanted to talk about before you ran out of courage to do so and the night ended.

"Hey Sans?"

"yo?" His mouth was full of chicken-fried steak and it sounded more like 'no'. You continued anyway.

"There's something I wanted to talk to you about."

He met your eyes with the crimson lights in his sockets and took a slow drink of his soda. "'kay?"

You swallowed and took a drink of coffee for bravery. "Um…well, I'm not really sure how to say this, but let me start by saying that I don't want you say anything to Papyrus. Not yet."

Half his brow ridge raised in a confused expression. "uh. aight?"

"I mean it, Sans. This is important." You folded your hands on the table in front of your plate and gave him your best 'serious business' face.

"okay, no talking to boss. gotcha. what's got yer panties in a bunch, sugar?" He pushed his plate away just slightly, and you knew you had his full attention.

"I think—no, I  _know_ —I have developed a huge crush…on your brother."

A wave of relief passed over Sans' face as he leaned back and laughed. You looked around the restaurant, thankful to see that nobody was looking your way.

"oh shit, sugar. i was real scared there for a sec you were gonna say you were crushin' on me." He laughed again before composing himself and leaning forward a little. "then i'd hafta break your heart and i don't wanna do that. but boss—sure, i can see that. he likes you, too."

Relief flooded your system after he explained himself and you knew he wasn't laughing at your pathetic feelings. Then all of a sudden, his last sentence hit you.

"What? He likes me?" Your stomach fluttered.

Sans nodded. "yeah, you got 'im all constipated over shit and it's fuckin' hilarious. he made me swear up down and sideways that i wouldn't say nothin' to ya about it, but that was because he didn't want you to get all pissy and confront him. i'm guessin' you didn't want the same thing?"

He started eating again, and you followed suit.

"Yeah; I was worried he'd be upset or something and I'd have to face this sooner than I wanted to. What do I do?"

He shrugged. "you tell him. i mean, don't come out and say you wanna jump his  _bones_  or nothin'—" he winked at you "—but y'know. compliment him."

You scowled. "He doesn't take compliments well. He's all, 'I'm superior in every way, so of course I'm excellent at whatever you just said.' It's fucking annoying."

Sans laughed. "yeah, but you gotta admit he  _is_  superior in a lotta shit."

You knew Sans looked up to his brother. You knew Sans would do anything and everything to make his brother happy. It shouldn't have surprised you that he thought Papyrus was the shit. And, really, it didn't, but something about the way Sans spoke that comment did surprise you.

"So far, he's said to me that he's an exceptional chef, he has an excellent physique, his taste in movies is outstanding, he has unparalleled control of his magic, and—this was my favorite—after I told him that he was being too serious he said he has a superior sense of humor but knew when and where to use it. I don't think I've ever once seen or heard your brother use anything like humor."

"boss' humor is the vicious kind. you don't want him to turn it on you, trust me. and he really does have tremendous control of his magic. 's somethin' a lotta monsters envy about him."

You nodded. "Okay, so I should compliment him and just listen to him tell me why my compliments are useless because he's already way too full of himself?"

Sans snorted. "nah. compliment him on shit you like about him. what  _do_  you like about him, anyway?"

You felt your face heat up almost instantly. Sans chuckled, obviously knowing at least part of your attraction was physical. You cleared your throat. "Um…well, he's obviously a good brother to you. Sure, some of the things he does made me question that when I first met you guys, but he's attentive and I know he takes better care of you than you would yourself."

Sans nodded, not even a little embarrassed about that.

"He's—well, he's very attractive. He's got a right to be a little cocky about his appearance, I'll give you that." You blushed harder and took a drink to try to calm down as Sans snickered again. "I feel safe around him. Not just that he wouldn't hurt me, which I know he wouldn't, but also that nothing could touch me because he'd protect me. And he seems passionate about the things he's interested in. Like, he doesn't just make food, he takes pride in what he cooks. He's obviously proud to have served for the Royal Guard, and he seems to take the safety of those around him—monsters especially—very seriously. I can't help but feel like it would be something amazing to have some of that passion directed at me." You shrugged and looked down, unwilling to meet Sans' eyes after saying all that about his brother.

"you're gonna be good for him; i can tell." He reached out and put his hand over yours at the side of your plate, and you finally looked up at him. "tell him you like that passion. tell him you feel safe around him. especially that. he's worried you don't because of what he had to do in the underground. he's never had a crush before, sugar. never had time for one. he's gonna have a rough time navigating this. remember that and help him out, okay?"

You nodded and turned your hand over to squeeze his fingers. "I will. Thank you, Sans."

He leaned back and folded his hands behind his head. "so when'r ya gonna come over and spill the beans?"

"I'm going to invite him to lunch one day and talk to him. I'm not just going to spill the beans, Sans. I'm too nervous for that. But I can drop hints."

He winced and put his arms down. "don't do that. boss don't get hints. he's a straightforward kinda guy. if you just drop hints, he's never gonna get it and you'll both end up frustrated."

Dammit. You nodded, though, taking his advice. "Okay, I guess I will just tell him. You're sure he likes me back?"

"yep. he talks about you constantly. shit you do that he likes, shit you do that annoys the fuck out of him, outfits he thinks you look cute in…on and on and on."

You felt your face flame again. "He thinks I'm cute?"

Sans laughed. "no, not cute. in his words, you're 'outstandingly gorgeous.' it's gross."

"What else does he like about me?" You were suddenly insanely curious.

"nu-uh. i promised i wouldn't tell."

You frowned. "Fine, but you can't tell him what I like about him. Not even if he says he has to know or demands that you tell him." You crossed your arms over your chest.

He huffed. "you don't play fair, do ya?"

"I play perfectly fair; it's you who doesn't. I already know you're gonna go home and tell him everything because—"

Sans held up a hand and shook his head, silencing you. "nah, sugar, i ain't gonna tell him everything. after you ask him out to lunch and he gushes over your invitation and asks a million times if he should accept, i'll tell 'im that we talked and some'a the things you said. that's when he'll ask what you like about him, and i'll tell him."

His words calmed you down. "Okay. But will you still tell me some of the things he likes about me?" You tried to smile convincingly.

He chuckled. "he likes how you stand up ta him like you ain't afraid of 'im. that also annoys him, but he admires that quality in you. he likes that you don't got a problem with monster-kind. he likes that you and i are good friends and he can trust you around me. and then there are the really annoying things to listen to, like how much he likes your laugh and how your hair feels when it accidentally touches him and how soft your skin is when he manages to find a reason to touch you. oh, and can't forget how when you blush it accentuates the little freckles on your nose…can i stop now, or do you really need me to continue?"

You blinked a few times before your mouth turned up in a smirk. "You can stop now. Thank you." You had a hard time believing that Papyrus could really like all those little things about you. Your laugh was annoying and your freckles were stupid. All the same, you couldn't help but feel awfully flattered. "I'm gonna text him tonight about going to lunch soon. I have to work all weekend, but maybe we can get together on Monday or something. Do you know his schedule?"

"he works days, so you might hafta do dinner instead. just ask him to dinner and pretend it's a date." He winked at you again.

You snorted. "I'm not going to ask him out on a date before we talk about how we feel. We'll figure something out when I text him later."

Sans nodded, accepting that plan.

You both finished your dinner and you paid the bill before you said goodnight and went your separate ways. Once home, you texted Papyrus.

_**You:** _ _Whatcha doin?_

_**Captain Tantrum:** _ _Aren't you hanging out with my brother tonight?_

Before you could get indignant about his comment, he texted again.

_**Captain Tantrum:** _ _Oh, never mind. He just got home. I'm solving puzzles._

_**You:** _ _I hang out with your brother a lot, but I've never really had a chance to get to know you one on one. We should do lunch sometime._

There was a long pause as you waited for him to answer. After a few minutes with no response, you started to get ready for bed. A full hour passed and you were lying in bed before a reply finally came through.

_**Captain Tantrum:** _ _That would be acceptable. When are you free?_

_Acceptable_. You grinned as you imagined him excitedly talking to Sans about your conversation that night, then taking deep breaths before typing back to you and trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

_**You:** _ _I work this weekend, but I'm free on Monday. I also have next Saturday off._

_**Captain Tantrum:** _ _We could meet on my lunch break on Monday. You would need to come out this way._

_**You:** _ _I'm fine with that. What's a good place out that way? Also, what time?_

_**Captain Tantrum:** _ _There's a coffee shop near my place of work that has excellent panini. My lunch break is from noon to one._

You took a deep breath and held in a squeal. This was going to happen.

_**You:** _ _Send me the address and I'll meet you there at noon on Monday._

He sent the address only a few moments later, and you looked it up so you knew where you would be going. You'd never heard of the place before, but it had great reviews. On a whim, you decided to send one more text.

_**You:** _ _I look forward to Monday. Goodnight, Papyrus._

You bit your lip and waited to see if he'd say anything back. Almost fifteen minutes later, he did.

_**Captain Tantrum:** _ _As do I. Sleep well, y/n._

You hugged your phone to your chest and let yourself squeal that time, rolling onto your back and kicking your feet against the mattress. Another text came through, and for a moment you hoped that he just couldn't get enough of talking to you. Instead, it was from Sans.

_**Sans:** _ _good job, sugar. haven't seen boss this happy in a while. makes me happy. sleep tight._

You couldn't help a swell of happiness that threatened to burst out of your chest. You chose not to say anything else but plugged your phone in and told yourself you needed to get some sleep to survive the weekend.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Papyrus looks good in anything and you learn the meaning of wearing stripes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm loving all the positive responses to this story. They make me so happy.
> 
> Papyrus' POV of the end of the last chapter and this one will be coming soon. I'm very excited for them :)
> 
> Come join me on Tumblr! Sheewolf85.tumblr.com. I reblog cool Undertale stuff (among other things) and sometimes post stuff.

_In a quarter mile, turn left._

You nodded to yourself and followed your GPS' instructions. You were on your way to meet Papyrus for lunch, and your nerves were shot. You had come up with a hundred different ways of starting the conversation and had scrapped each and every one of them for various reasons. Your hands were sweaty against the steering wheel and you could swear you could feel your heart pounding against your chest. You took a deep breath and told yourself to chill out.

_In five hundred yards, turn right. Then, your destination will be on the right._

Crap, already? You turned and found the little coffee-shop-slash-bakery easily. You had left a half an hour early to make sure you'd be able to find the place, and you hadn't expected to be able to drive right to it even with your GPS.

You parked and sat in the car for a few minutes, giving yourself a pep talk.

"This is going to be good. Sans probably talked to him like he said he would, so he knows what this conversation is going to be about. He's not going to be blindsided by my confession. And, best of all, he likes me back!"

You could only imagine the things that could happen after you both confessed your feelings. Maybe you'd get to hug him before he went back to work. Or maybe—just maybe—you'd get a kiss. The thought made your stomach flip. Despite his sharp teeth that could probably tear into your flesh without a problem, you were a tad bit desperate to know what it felt like to kiss him. You had no doubt that he'd be careful with you.

Fifteen minutes later, you finally managed to talk yourself into getting out of the car. It was cold out, snow on the ground and icy patches on the parking lot. Carefully picking your steps to make sure you didn't slip, you made your way inside. The smell of coffee and baked goods filled your nostrils and made you smile. It was like a little patch of heaven. You looked around and spotted a small table in the back that looked relatively isolated where you were hoped you and Papyrus could talk.

You got in line and unzipped your coat. You'd worn one of your favorite sweater dresses today with thick leggings to protect your legs from the cold winter weather and boots on your feet. The sweater was red with black stripes and was soft and comfortable. After ordering a turkey avocado panini and a chai tea latte, you went to the table in the back and set your purse and coat down until they called your name.

After you got your food, you sat down facing the door and checked the time. It was noon, so Papyrus was probably clocking out for lunch right at that moment. Your right leg bounced nervously as you sipped your tea and kept an eye on the door.

Five minutes later, Papyrus finally walked in. You licked your lips when he had to duck his head to clear the door. One thing you didn't mention to Sans was that you couldn't get enough of how tall Papyrus was. His height made your insides feel all gooey. You raised a hand and waved at him, and it caught his attention. He waved back before getting in line and ordering.

You didn't even try to stop yourself from staring at him. He was dressed in a dark blue pinstripe suit that had to have been tailored to him. Under his suit jacket, he wore a white shirt with a red tie. He looked damn good. You couldn't help but remember how he looked in those leather pants and that short shirt that showed off his hips and his spine. Somehow you doubted that he could look bad in anything; he could probably pull off any outfit he chose to wear and do it beautifully.

He finally made his way to the table and sat next to you.

"YOU WERE HERE EARLY?"

You nodded a little sheepishly. "Yeah, I wanted to make sure I gave myself time to find the place. I haven't been here very long, though, and I knew you wouldn't be here until after noon."

He nodded and lifted his cup to his mouth. He had red gloves on, but you couldn't help but remember watching his bare phalanges as he'd cooked. You licked your lips and told yourself to calm down.

"Um, you look nice," you said, hoping he wouldn't do what he always did and—

"THANK YOU. SO DO YOU."

Hot damn. He actually accepted your compliment. And…your face suddenly burst into flame as you smoothed your shaking fingers over the bottom hem of your sweater dress.

"Oh, um…thanks." You were going to chicken out. You could feel it now. Just your small interactions so far made your insides feel like jelly. You couldn't fathom surviving a kiss at this point.

You were both quiet for a moment as you ate. You complimented the food—he had been right when he said they had excellent panini. Just when the silence started to get uncomfortable, you cleared your throat.

"So, um…I don't think I've ever asked you what you do." You knew Sans had a few odd jobs including one at a call center of some kind, but none of you had ever talked about Papyrus' job.

"I WORK FOR THE KING AT THE MONSTER EMBASSY. IT'S MOSTLY PAPERWORK AND HANDLING SQUABBLES HERE AND THERE."

Yeah, that was impressive. "Cool. Do you like it?"

"YES."

You waited for him to say more, but he didn't. You decided to push him a little.

"What's your favorite part about it?"

The look he shot you was full of confusion, like he wasn't sure why you were curious about it. "DO YOU REALLY WANT TO TALK ABOUT MY EMPLOYMENT?"

You shrugged. "We don't have to, but I wasn't lying when I said I wanted to get to know you one on one."

His cheekbones started to glow with a red blush, and you couldn't help but find that completely adorable. Your hands ached to reach out to him, but you kept them occupied with your cup instead.

"MY FAVORITE PART ABOUT IT IS BEING ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT MONSTERS ARE BEING TREATED FAIRLY. SOME HUMANS WANT TO PRETEND THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE RIGHTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED, AND I GET TO BE PART OF THE TEAM THAT PROVES THEM WRONG. IT'S NICE TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT MY FELLOW KIND WITHOUT VIOLENCE."

There was no hope for you. You fell a little more, becoming even more infatuated with him, and smiled brightly.

"I think that's really cool. You care a lot about monsters, and I admire that about you." You were desperately trying to do what Sans had said and compliment him on things you genuinely liked about him. The words were a little hard to get out, but once they were, you were rewarded immediately.

The blush on his cheeks darkened and he seemed to be at a loss for words for a moment. "I…OF COURSE I CARE ABOUT MONSTERS…" He trailed off and fidgeted in his seat for a moment as he stared down at the table.

You realized then that he was nervous. Just the idea of him being anything but the painfully confident Papyrus you knew was thrilling. You made him nervous. You did that to him. You felt a tiny bit powerful in that moment.

It gave you the confidence you needed to bring up the subject you feared. You took a drink before speaking.

"So did Sans talk to you about our conversation Friday night?" Your guts did a few cartwheels as you waited for him to answer.

He nodded. "YES, AND I HAVE SOMETHING I NEED TO SAY ABOUT THAT."

Suddenly, your heart dropped. Your mind went to the worst possible scenario—he was going to tell you that Sans was joking and that he didn't actually like you at all. Before you could let yourself sabotage this, you nodded and waited for him to continue.

"Y/N, SANS SAID THAT HE TOLD YOU WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU. I DON'T FEEL THE NEED TO REPEAT IT IF HE ALREADY TOLD YOU. INSTEAD, I'D LIKE TO KNOW YOUR OPINION ABOUT GOING OUT WITH ME."

You could breathe again. "My opinion is that I would very much like to." You could hardly believe you actually managed to say that. Your face had to be the same shade as your dress at this point, and yet his cheekbones were pretty red as well.

Tentatively, he reached out and placed his hand palm up on the table. You glanced down at it briefly before allowing yourself to put your hand in his. Your fingers were shaking, but you could feel his bones shaking in the soft leather of his gloves, too. His fingers wrapped around your hand and lifted, bringing it to his mouth where he pressed his teeth to the back.

His bones were warm and calming, and you could feel a strange thrum of energy coming from his teeth. You squeezed his fingers and smiled as best as you could with your insides doing all kinds of gymnastics.

"MY LUNCH BREAK IS NEARLY OVER. YOU SAID YOU HAVE THIS SATURDAY OFF FROM WORK?"

You nodded, a little thrilled that he kept hold of your hand on the table.

"I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE YOU TO A SHOW AND TO DINNER."

"Do you mean to a movie?" You were feeling a little lightheaded as you processed this information. You and Papyrus were actually going to start dating.

"NO, I MEAN TO A LIVE SHOW. A FRIEND OF MINE WILL BE PERFORMING IN A PLAY."

Somehow, the thought of a live show was so much more romantic that a movie. "That sounds really nice."

He smirked. "OF COURSE IT DOES. I HAVE EXCELLENT IDEAS."

You snorted and squeezed his fingers again. "All right, Captain. I don't want you to be late back to work."

"COME OUT TO MY HOME AT FIVE O'CLOCK ON SATURDAY AND WE'LL GO TO DINNER FROM THERE, THEN TO THE PLAY."

He lifted your hand again and kissed the back of it, the same strange energy buzzing around your skin.

"It's a date."

"YES, IT IS. OH, AND PLEASE DO NOT WEAR STRIPES." His eye lights seemed to dance over your sweater for a moment before returning to your face.

"Um…okay? Why?"

"MONSTER CHILDREN WEAR STRIPES UNTIL THEY'RE OLD ENOUGH TO BE CONSIDERED ADULTS. IT WOULD BE…UNCOMFORTABLE IF YOU WERE DRESSED AS A CHILD."

Interesting. You decided not to remind him that humans had no such conventions and instead just agreed to not wear stripes. You really would hate to make him uncomfortable like that, and you could see it equating to going out with someone who was dressed in a schoolgirl uniform with pigtails.

You both got up and threw away your trash. Papyrus picked up your coat before you could reach it and held it open for you. Grinning like an idiot, you let him help you into it. He put a hand on your back, right between your shoulders, and walked with you outside. You shivered a little at a gust of chilly air that smacked you right in the face.

"PLEASE DRIVE SAFELY," he said as he followed you to your car. "AND LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU GET HOME."

You stopped by your car and looked up at him. "I will. I have to go to the store on the way home, so don't freak out if it takes me a while."

He nodded, and you both stood there silently, staring at each other. A part of you really hoped he'd lean down and kiss you, but another part knew that he was going to be late if he didn't leave soon. Instead of doing either, he reached out and very gently touched your cheek with the backs of his fingers.

"I LOOK FORWARD TO SATURDAY," he declared, a little too loudly.

You couldn't help but push forward and wrap your arms around him in a tight hug. Heavenly warmth spread through your whole body as he hugged you back.

"I do, too," you managed.

He finally walked away, and you watched him for a moment before getting into your car.

* * *

Throughout the week, you texted both Sans and Papyrus. Sans made a few jokes like you knew he was going to about you getting it on with his brother. You only defended your honor the first few times, then you started ignoring him. He finally stopped after he realized he wasn't going to get a rise out of you.

Thursday was a bad day. You were so excited about your date on Saturday that you had told all of your friends about it. One of your friends who had been fine with monsters before was suddenly not okay with the idea of you dating one. They had tried to talk you out of it, going so far as to tell you how dangerous they were and how they had killed humans.

You tried to frame it a different way—you had just weeded out another of your monster-hating so-called 'friends'. It didn't help lessen the pain of losing a friend or the words they had thrown at you.

That night, after you had gotten into bed, you texted Papyrus.

_**You:** _ _Are you up?_

It took twenty minutes to get a response.

_**Captain Tantrum:** _ _Yes._

_**You:** _ _We're still on for Saturday, right?_

Something coiled in your gut.

_**Captain Tantrum:** _ _Of course. Why wouldn't we be?_

_**You:** _ _I don't know. I'm just making sure. Had a bad day._

_**Captain Tantrum:** _ _What happened?_

Tears gathered in your eyes as you remembered the fight and their parting words:  _don't blame me when you end up murdered by your precious monster boyfriend._

_**You:** _ _I lost a friend. They used to be so supportive of monsters, but the minute I say I'm going to date one they're saying shit they know nothing about and it really hurt to realize they weren't who I thought they were._

A few minutes passed with no response. You sniffled and wiped your face.

_**You:** _ _I'm sorry. It's not your problem; I shouldn't put that on you._

Your guts hurt so badly. You wanted him to say something. Anything. You wanted him to support you, but somehow you knew that wasn't going to happen. Papyrus wasn't that kind of monster. He was passionate and driven and confident, but he wasn't sympathetic.

A few moments later, your phone buzzed.

_**Captain Tantrum:** _ _Nonsense. If we're going to be dating, you should be able to talk to me about your troubles. Do you want me to talk to this friend of yours?_

All of your worries seemed to drift away as you read his words. A swell of happiness grew in your chest and pushed out all the pain.

_**You:** _ _No; I'd rather just not ever speak to them again. And thank you, Papyrus. Please know you can talk to me, too._

_**Captain Tantrum:** _ _Do you feel better already? Should I say something else about the situation with your friend?_

You smiled and hugged the phone before answering him.

_**You:** _ _I do feel better. You don't need to say anything else about it. Just listening is enough. I really am looking forward to Saturday, and to seeing you again._

_**Captain Tantrum:** _ _I'm gonna invite you in for coffee. Coffee means sex. I'm gonna kiss your lips and I don't mean the ones on your face._

_**Captain Tantrum:** _ _Did you know skeletons got dicks? Mine's pierced. Curious, ain't ya?_

You stared at the messages for a long while, completely shocked and a little disgusted. This was the type of shit Sans would do, not—

Oh.

_**You:** _ _Sans, give your brother back his phone. I'm not fooled._

_**Captain Tantrum:** _ _I swear to the angel above that I did not send those texts. My fucking brother stole my phone._

_**Captain Tantrum:** _ _Thank you for understanding that wasn't me._

You had to laugh a little.

_**You:** _ _It was pretty obvious, but you're welcome._

_**Captain Tantrum:** _ _I am also looking forward to Saturday. I feel strange saying that after my brother's vulgar texts._

_**You:** _ _Don't feel weird; that's what he wants. The asshole. Just tell me that you're excited to see me._

_**Captain Tantrum:** _ _Of course I am. I know you'll be as beautiful as ever._

You let out a squeal and hugged the phone again.

_**You:** _ _Thank you. I think I'm going to go to bed. I'll talk to you soon. Goodnight, Papyrus._

_**Captain Tantrum:** _ _Goodnight, y/n. Sleep well._

You plugged your phone in and grinned at the ceiling for a long while before you felt calm enough to actually sleep.

Friday was only a little bit better. You had to face the fallout of your fight with your now ex-friend. A few of your other friends thought you were being ridiculous by breaking off a friendship just because they didn't like you dating a monster. You decided not to relive the nasty words that had been said to you and simply said that you had a right to choose the company you kept. You didn't want to keep company that had such a blatant problem with the way you chose to live your life. You reminded them of the friends you'd had before the barrier broke and how many friends you'd lost because of your support of monsters. You had no problem cutting harmful people out of your life.

Work was exhausting, but you made it through the day solely on the thought that you would get to see Papyrus the next day. After you got home and ate dinner, you texted with him and Sans for a few hours until you started to feel sleepy.

After your bedtime routine, you spent another hour in front of your closet deciding what you were going to wear the next day. You secretly wished you had gotten Sans to tell you which outfits Papyrus liked the best. You also wished you had asked Papyrus what kind of play you were going to see and where you were going for dinner so you knew how much you needed to dress up.

With a tired groan, you finally picked out a preliminary outfit that was sort of fancy but could also pass as sort of casual. A good middle ground. You figured you could get more details from Papyrus tomorrow.

With that out of the way, you climbed into bed and squealed excitedly for a moment before settling down to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a date and you learn some troubling information about your best friend's health.

You changed your mind about your date outfit seven times. After you asked where you were going, you decided that you needed to dress up a little more than what you had picked out the night before. Everything that you thought about wearing was wrong for one reason or another. It showed too much skin. It didn't show enough skin. It was too frilly. It was uncomfortable after an hour or so.

You finally ended up calling in reinforcements after lunch and you still hadn't made up your mind. You doubted you could trust any of your human friends to take you seriously and actually help you, so you dialed a fox monster by the name of Patricia that you'd met through Sans. She agreed to come help you out and showed up at two-thirty.

The two of you went through your already discarded outfits and the rest of your closet. She picked out the tiny, black leather miniskirt you had tucked away in the back corner of your closet, and you nearly had a heart attack.

"You're going to be wearing leggings under it, honey," she reassured. "Trust me, if I know anything about Papyrus, it's that he likes leather."

He did wear leather pants. You'd also seen him wear a leather jacket once. That had been intensely hot. You swallowed tightly and nodded. "Okay. What leggings will I wear with it?"

She went to your drawer and pulled out a pair of thick black leggings. "These ones. Oh, and this shirt." Back in your closet, she pulled out a shimmery red sweater you had already discarded twice. It had a wide neckline and was big enough to hang off your form but tight enough to do so flatteringly.

A part of you wanted to say no to the whole outfit, but you knew you were going to look good in it. Despite the skirt being tight and very short, the leggings and the sweater would provide enough modesty that you wouldn't feel like you were throwing yourself at him.

Patricia helped you with your hair and your makeup as well. When you were finished, even you had to admit that you were smoking hot. You put on a pair of black high-heeled pumps and declared yourself ready for your date.

At four o'clock, you and Patricia left your apartment. Patricia went home, and you headed to the skeleton brother's house. You hated that they lived so far away. If this ended up working out between you and Papyrus, maybe you'd look into moving closer to them. You wouldn't ask them to move seeing as Papyrus had an important job in the city and it wasn't fair to ask Sans to move just because you were dating his brother. You, on the other hand, had nothing but your job keeping you where you were.

You pulled up to the house right at five o'clock. After a few deep, calming breaths, you got out and walked up to the door. You smoothed down your skirt and prayed that your date would like it. You were pretty sure he would. It ended just below your ass, covering only the barest of what a skirt should cover. You actually only owned it because you'd used it in a Halloween costume one year. Thank god for leggings.

Sans opened the door and let you in. He gave you a low whistle as you walked past him.

"damn, sugar, you clean up nice."

You blushed deep and once again smoothed down your skirt. "Thanks."

"yo boss! yer hussy's here."

You smacked his arm and berated him for calling you that. He just giggled and took two steps away.

Papyrus stepped around the corner, fidgeting with the left cuff of his shirt sleeve. "CALL HER THAT ONE MORE TIME, SANS, AND I WILL NOT HESITATE TO—"

He stopped in his tracks, going silent when his eye lights fell on you. You looked him over and did your best to not shrink in on yourself from nerves.

He was dressed in black slacks that fit him entirely too well and a dark red button-up shirt with a black tie. There wasn't a doubt in your mind he couldn't get much hotter if he tried.

"you gonna say hi to each other or just stand there staring?"

You blinked and looked at Sans for a moment before turning your attention back to Papyrus. He cleared his throat and stepped up to you.

"GOOD EVENING, Y/N. YOU LOOK TRULY BEAUTIFUL." He took your hand and pulled it up to his mouth, placing a gentle kiss on the back.

Your heart pounded a little harder against your chest. "Thank you. You do, too. I mean, um…you look nice. Handsome." You shut your mouth to keep yourself from babbling.

"good job, both of you. now get out of here."

Papyrus glared at Sans. "WOULD YOU KINDLY  _FUCK. OFF?_ "

He shrugged. "can't have you two missing out on half your date just cuz you couldn't leave the house, now could i?"

With a sigh, Papyrus turned his attention back to you. "SHALL WE?"

You nodded, still nervous to speak. Keeping hold of your hand, he led you back outside and to his car. He opened the passenger door for you, and you settled yourself in the seat. You buckled in as he walked around to the driver's side.

You were both silent on the way to the restaurant, the radio on low and providing background music for your thoughts. You really hoped he kissed you tonight. As you thought about what it might be like to kiss him, you remembered the feel of his teeth against your hand. I never hurt. In fact, you could barely feel any sharpness at all. Deep kisses were bound to be different. He never opened his mouth when he kissed the back of your hand. Maybe deep kisses were something you wouldn't get to share with him if he could hurt you too easily. That thought made you a little sad, so you decided to just wait and see what happened.

At the restaurant, Papyrus kept his hand on the middle of your back as you were led to a table in a fairly private area. You noticed a few people giving you both strange looks, and you just glared right back. Once in your seat, you turned all of your attention to your date.

"I've never been here before," you admitted, picking up your menu. "What's good?"

"THEIR LASAGNA IS NEARLY AS GOOD AS MINE. IT'S WHAT I USUALLY ORDER WHEN I COME HERE."

You nodded. High praise, coming from him. You decided it was good enough for you and you'd have the same thing. But then you wondered.

"How often do you come here?"

"ONCE A MONTH, FOR BUSINESS MEETINGS."

Oh. You nodded again and decided that this time you really didn't want to talk about work. You folded your menu back up and set it aside, on top of his.

"HOW ARE YOU FEELING? I MEAN, AFTER THURSDAY AND WHAT HAPPENED WITH YOUR FRIEND. ARE YOU STILL OKAY?"

A smile pulled at your lips and you reached out to take his hand. He gave it willingly and held your fingers gently. You were entirely too giddy to be able to touch his bare phalanges and reminded yourself several times that it might be uncomfortable for him if you were to suddenly start feeling out each individual bone.

"Yeah, I'm okay. A few of my other friends wanted to tell me that I was stupid for breaking things off with Rhonda, but I really won't stand for that kind of negativity in my life. I lost a lot of friends after the barrier broke because so many of those people wanted to hate monsters. I don't regret a single one. I haven't missed any of them, and honestly, I'm glad they're no longer in my life. I'll feel the same about her soon enough."

He was smiling at you. It wasn't even a scowl-smile; it was a real smile.

"YOU ARE A VERY HEADSTRONG PERSON. I LIKE THAT ABOUT YOU."

"What else do you like about me? I know Sans told me some stuff, but I want to hear it from you." Without thinking too much about what you were doing, you pulled his hand up and kissed his knuckles. The bones felt strange against your lips, but your stomach flipped and your heart fluttered.

Papyrus cleared his throat—a strange noise, you thought, since he didn't have a throat—and his phalanges tightened around your fingers.

"YOU'RE GOOD TO MY BROTHER. THAT IS A MUST, BECAUSE MY BROTHER IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN MY LIFE. HE ALWAYS WILL BE. HE'S HAD LESS PANIC ATTACKS SINCE HE'S KNOWN YOU. YOU'RE KIND AND PATIENT TOWARD MONSTERS; YOU ACCEPT US AND TREAT US AS THOUGH WE BELONG HERE, NOT LIKE WE HAVE TO EARN OUR RIGHT TO BE HERE."

He was interrupted by the waitress coming up to take your orders. He didn't move his hand from yours as he told the waitress that you both wanted the lasagna and also what you'd be having to drink. After she left, he turned his attention back to you and started to rub the back of your hand with his thumb.

"WHERE WAS I? OH, YES. THERE IS A LONG LIST OF PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES THAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU. MOST NOTABLY ARE THE WAY YOUR EYES SPARKLE WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THINGS YOU ENJOY AND THE WAY YOUR BLUSH DARKENS YOUR FRECKLES. HUMAN SKIN IS FASCINATING TO ME AND SEEING HOW YOURS REACTS TO CERTAIN SITUATIONS IS INTERESTING."

You couldn't help but laugh at that last sentence. "I know what you mean, but the way you said that about skin is kind of creepy."

He frowned. "I APOLOGIZE IF I SCARED YOU."

"Oh…no, it's okay. I don't mean that you scared me, Papyrus. I just mean that I can see the bad guy in a serial killer movie saying something like that, how human skin is fascinating. I understand why it is for you because you're a monster, and a skeleton one at that." You squeezed his fingers reassuringly. "You really didn't scare me. I promise. I have never once felt scared of you."

The expression on his face seemed skeptical. "YOU LOOKED FRIGHTENED WHEN WE FOUGHT."

You had to take a minute to remember the fight you'd had with him when he was still keeping watch over his brother during your visits. "That's a little hard to explain, because yes, I was scared. You're a pretty terrifying guy when you're mad. But, I wasn't afraid of you. I mean, I still knew you wouldn't hurt me."

He still didn't look convinced. "NOT EVEN WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE TRAPS I USED TO SET?"

You shook your head. "Not even then. I can't imagine what that had to have been like for you, being trapped under ground."

"NO, YOU REALLY CAN'T. IT WAS A TERRIBLE PLACE. YOU GENUINELY AREN'T AFRAID OF ME?"

You leaned in just a little and met the lights in his eye sockets. You kept eye contact, hoping he would understand that you meant every word you were about to say. "I'm genuinely not afraid of you. I mean, it's the opposite, to tell you the truth. I feel safe around you."

"I…REALLY?" His cheekbones turned red again, and you couldn't help but smile at the sight.

"Really. Maybe it's because you helped me when that guy broke my arm, but I always feel like nothing could ever touch me when I'm with you. I can take care of myself and I certainly don't need a bodyguard, but there's something soothing about knowing you could protect me if I needed it."

The food was delivered then, interrupting your conversation again. Papyrus thanked the waitress and she soon disappeared again.

Sadly, you had to remove your hand from his to eat. The lasagna really was the best you'd ever had. A small part of you silently joked that it was because you hadn't yet tasted Papyrus'. You both ate in silence for a few moments before he spoke again.

"I TRUST YOU AS WELL. AROUND MY BROTHER AND OTHER MONSTER WITH HEALTH AFFLICTIONS. I TRUST THAT YOU WILL NOT TRY TO HURT THEM."

You smiled brightly for a brief moment, then the meaning of his words really hit you. "Is there something wrong with Sans?" He had never mentioned any illnesses or health afflictions, as Papyrus put it.

"HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT MONSTER HEALTH?"

After a moment of thought, you realized that you barely knew anything on the subject. You told him so, and he nodded as though he had expected that answer.

"NOT MANY HUMANS UNDERSTAND HOW MONSTER HEALTH WORKS. THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT AFFECT IT, BUT THE BASIS OF OUR HEALTH IS IN HOW MUCH HOPE WE HAVE. THE MORE HOPE, THE MORE RESISTANT TO PHYSICAL VIOLENCE WE ARE. SANS IS AMONG THE ALARMINGLY LARGE NUMBER OF MONSTERS WITH VERY LITTLE HOPE. MANY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO INCREASE THEIR HEALTH AFTER REACHING THE SURFACE, BUT SANS HAS NOT. EVEN A SMALL ATTACK COULD KILL HIM."

The idea of someone trying to hurt your best friend made your soul sink. "That's why you insisted on being with him when he and I first started to hang out?"

Papyrus just nodded. You felt a little bad for getting as upset as you had, but there wasn't anything you could do about it now.

Something occurred you then, and you gasped. "I hit his arm! Today when I got to your place and he called me a hussy, I slapped him. Oh, no."

Papyrus reached over and took your hand, gently pulling you out of your thoughts. "THAT WAS NOT AN ATTACK, Y/N. ATTACKS REQUIRE INTENT. HOWEVER, I AM GLAD THAT YOU RECOGNIZE YOUR MISTAKE. DON'T DO IT AGAIN."

You nodded immediately. "I promise. Is he gonna be okay though?"

"YES. THE CONSEQUENCES OF AN ATTACK THAT DAMAGES HEALTH ARE IMMEDIATE AND UNMISTAKABLE. SINCE HE WAS NOT HURT, HE WILL BE FINE."

You let out a sigh of relief. "Thank god." After a few more breaths, you asked, "How do I know which monsters have low hope? I mean, not that I plan on going around dealing small attacks to people, but it would be nice to know who I need to be more careful around."

"I'LL SHOW YOU HOW TO PERFORM CHECKS ON OUR NEXT DATE."

The thought was instantly thrilling, and you couldn't even hope to stop yourself from grinning like an idiot. "I look forward to it."

The two of you finished your dinner with just enough time to make it to the play. You held Papyrus' arm tightly as he helped you navigate the icy theater parking lot in your heels. Once inside, you half expected him to take his arm back, but he didn't. You didn't bother to let go either. Instead, you held on and told yourself you were not feeling out the bones of his arm under his sleeve.

There were more monsters in the theater than had been at the restaurant, some working and some there for the play. A handsome rabbit monster handed out the playbill and winked at you as he did. Papyrus grunted, and the rabbit immediately started ignoring your existence. You couldn't help but smile. You knew there was nothing behind the wink, but you'd let Papyrus get away with being overprotective this time. As cute as it was, you could see it getting annoying really fast.

You decided it would be a good idea to use the restroom before the show started, so you looked around for the sign. When you didn't see one, you asked Papyrus where they were. He led you to them and waited while you took care of business. You smiled at a pretty lizard monster as you washed your hands and complimented her on her sparkly black shoes.

"Thanks, hun. They hurt like a bitch, but they're too cute to care. Have fun tonight." She gave you a wink and left the room.

You almost wondered if she knew who you were here with, but then you decided not to think about that. She probably just meant for you to enjoy the play.

Joined back with Papyrus, he led you around and introduced you to a few people. You couldn't help but blush when he called you his date. You had already met a few of the monsters he greeted and were happy to have a chance to briefly catch up with them before it was time to go find your seats.

The seats Papyrus had were in an incredible location. You were in the middle, back far enough to see everything but close enough that you would probably be able to see the actors sweat. He put his arm around your shoulders, but then seemed to hesitate.

"IS THIS OKAY?"

You smiled at him and nodded. "Yes." You leaned in and rested your head on his shoulder, entirely too thrilled to have the opportunity to do so.

As you waited for the lights to dim, you looked over the playbill. You noticed a familiar face playing one of the lead characters. You held up the pamphlet and pointed to the picture.

"This is Mettaton, right? From the festival?"

Papyrus hummed. "YES. HE'S THE FRIEND I TOLD YOU WAS PERFORMING."

"Cool. I've heard good things about him. Is he as good a musician as people say?" You looked up to see Papyrus studying your face.

"HE IS QUITE GOOD, YES. I HAVE AN ABLUM HE RELEASED UNDERGROUND IF YOU'D LIKE TO HEAR IT."

"That would be nice. Maybe on our next date, either before or after you show me how to check a monster's health?"

His eye lights never left your face. He nodded, then started to lean down. He stopped abruptly and leaned back, then pressed his teeth to your forehead. The same unusual energy that you'd felt on your hand buzzed against your skin again, and it felt nice. You smiled serenely at him when he pulled back.

The lights began to dim then, taking your attention from your date.

The play was amazing. Mettaton played a character who needed to find his brother after the death of their father. His performance brought a tear to your eye more than once. After the show, and after joining the rest of the theater in a standing ovation, Papyrus led you backstage.

"Is this okay? Are we allowed back here?" You were a little nervous. You knew most people met the actors at the stage doors outside of the theater.

"I AM, AND YOU'RE WITH ME, SO YOU ARE AS WELL."

He took your hand and pulled your arm around his like you'd done earlier. One of the ushers stood blocking the way and for a brief moment you were afraid he might try to stop Papyrus. Instead, he nodded and stepped aside. You walked beside your date until you came to a dressing room with Mettaton's name on the door. Papyrus rapped his knuckles against the wood and waited.

The door opened, and suddenly Papyrus was pulled away from you into a four-armed hug.

"Darling! I hoped you'd come see me tonight." Mettaton pulled back only to kiss each side of Papyrus' face. You weren't sure how you felt about that. "Did you enjoy the show?"

"OF COURSE. YOUR PERFORMANCE WAS OUTSTANDING."

The robot looked at you, and you realized then that he had four eyes as well. The upper two must have been closed in the picture on the playbill. All four of them widened. "Who is this beauty?" He all but pushed Papyrus aside to take your hands and kiss the backs of both of them.

Papyrus stepped in front of you, pushing Mettaton back a few steps. "SHE'S MY DATE," he all but growled, his arms crossed over his chest.

Okay, that was a little excessive. You wormed your way to his side and smiled at Mettaton. You weren't sure if you should hold your hand out for a shake, considering he had two hands on each side and you only had one, so instead you just introduced yourself.

"I'm y/n. It's really nice to meet you." You slipped your arm under Papyrus' again and glanced up at him. He didn't look very pleased. You smiled reassuringly and turned your attention back to Mettaton. "You really were great tonight. I thought yours was probably the best performance. The other lead did pretty good, too. I mean, everyone was good, don't get me wrong, but you just…you killed it."

Mettaton's answering smile was brilliant. "Thank you, darling!" He glanced up at Papyrus. "She's a keeper," he stage-whispered.

"YES, I'M AWARE."

Your already exaggerated blush got a little hotter. You squeezed Papyrus' arm and tried really hard to not squeal over what he'd said.

Mettaton finally stepped back, somehow just becoming aware that you were all still standing at his door and let you into his room. He sat at a vanity while you and Papyrus took the seats against the opposite wall.

You stayed and talked for a while until Mettaton had to go. Papyrus led the way back to his car, once again helping you navigate the parking lot so you didn't break an ankle or fall on your ass and drove back to his place.

You were nervous again as you walked up to the door. On a normal date, you'd say your goodbyes at the door. You didn't really want to say goodbye yet, but you were a tiny bit terrified of asking to stay. The choice was made for you when Papyrus didn't turn to you at the door. Instead, he unlocked it and stepped inside, holding it open for you. Once inside, he shut and locked the door.

He seemed to realize then what had just happened. A red glow appeared on his cheekbones as he turned to you.

"DO YOU WANT TO STAY? YOU CERTAINLY DON'T HAVE TO. IT'S BEEN A LONG NIGHT AND YOU HAVE A DRIVE AHEAD OF YOU."

You couldn't help but wonder if he was thinking about Sans' texts the other night when he stole Papyrus' phone. You sure were. There was no doubt in your mind that you were a million miles away from being ready to sleep with him. Just the thought of making out with him was a little overwhelming. You really did want a kiss, though.

You cleared your throat and looked up at him. "I think I probably should head home. Thank you for a great night, Papyrus. I had a fun time." You weren't sure how to initiate the goodnight kiss.

It was clear that Papyrus wasn't either. He just nodded. "I DID AS WELL." He looked around for a moment, almost like he was searching for a topic to say something about. "DO YOU WANT TO SET UP A TIME FOR OUR NEXT DATE NOW?"

"Yeah."

As much as you had hoped you'd get to see him tomorrow, the next time you would both be free for a date was the following Saturday. It was agreed that he'd come out to your place. You'd make him dinner and he'd provide the music, and afterward he'd show you how to check monster health statuses.

Silence fell after you'd made your plans, and you both stood there awkwardly staring at each other. A voice from across the room startled you.

"this is when you kiss."

Papyrus abruptly turned and shot a menacing glare at Sans. "HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN THERE?"

Sans snickered. "long enough to know what yer doin' next weekend. pack a few extra condoms, 'kay?"

Papyrus sucked in a deep breath and pinched his nasal ridge. "I REALLY FUCKING HATE YOU SOMETIMES."

You shook your head at Sans and motioned for him to cut it out. He frowned before he disappeared. You reached out and put a hand on Papyrus' arm.

"I'm gonna head out."

He turned back to you, his whole face taking on a slight red glow. "I'M SORRY FOR MY BROTHER."

You snorted and waved a hand dismissively. "You don't need to apologize; I know what he's like. It doesn't bother me. At least, not enough to say I don't want a goodnight kiss." You bit your lip, your stomach doing flips and your nerves hyper alert as you waited for his response.

He nodded and his eye lights focused on your lips for a few long seconds. You started to wonder if you were going to need to initiate this. Before you could decide, he reached out and took your hands with both of his.

"I AM EXPERTLY SKILLED IN MANY THINGS, AND I RARELY COME ACROSS ANYTHING THAT I STRUGGLE WITH. IT'S HARD FOR ME TO ADMIT THIS, Y/N, BUT I'M AFRAID THAT I MIGHT HURT YOU. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO KISS YOU."

He obviously expected you to pull away or to find his confession scary, because he dropped your hands and took a step back. You chased him, not daunted at all by what he'd said. You reached up and put your hands on his shoulders, looking up to meet his eye lights.

"You haven't hurt me yet," you said softly. "Please try?"

His hands went to your waist as he nodded. A few moments passed, and you waited patiently as he tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he began to lean in slowly and bent his head to press his teeth against your lips.

The same energy from all of his previous kisses danced against your lips and sent a thrill throughout your body. His teeth were warm and gentle, and you pressed just a little harder against them. You didn't dare open your mouth; you wanted him to be comfortable with that before you tried to deepen the kiss. Instead, you closed your eyes and savored the feel of him so close to you.

He drew back a moment later and his hands slid from your waist to your back, pulling you in tightly for a hug. Your arms, still raised to his shoulders, slipped around his neck as you pressed your face into his chest. Even with your heels on, your head only came to the top of his chest. You felt a hum of the same energy from the kiss pulsing gently beneath his ribs. It almost felt like a heartbeat, which was confusing.

"Strange question, but do you have a heart?" You looked up at him without pulling back.

He chuckled. "ARE YOU ASKING ME IF I'M A HEARTLESS MONSTER?"

The joke caught you by surprise, but you recovered quickly and let out a giggle. "No. I'm curious because I think I feel your heartbeat."

He blushed, and his arms tightened around you. "YOU'RE FEELING THE PUSLE OF MY SOUL."

That shocked you. His soul. The very culmination of his being. "Wow." Your voice was a reverent whisper as you rested your head against his chest again and closed your eyes, focusing intently on the thrum of energy.

He pressed his teeth against the top of your head and pulled back. "YOU SHOULD GO BEFORE YOU GET TOO TIRED TO DRIVE. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU ARRIVE HOME."

You nodded and put a hand over his chest where you had felt his soul. "I will. See you next weekend."

He opened the door for you and watched you as you made your way to your car. He didn't shut it until you were seated in the driver's seat. You took a second to breathe and squeal with excitement over how amazing your first date had gone before you finally started the car and drove home.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you learn a few new skills; namely, how to check stats and make out with a skeleton.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always have a hard time with stats for the UF bros because I can never find any actual information about them anywhere. I saw these numbers for Paps' hp, atk, and def somewhere and decided they were good enough, and I used the lv/exp table thing on the Undertale wiki to figure out what his exp would be for the lv I wanted him to have. So yeah. Enjoy!
> 
> Oh! And it's Papyrus day (Friday the 13th) so you get an extra update :)

You danced through the next few days still high on cloud nine from your date with Papyrus. You had heard about monster souls since the barrier broke, and you had learned as much as you could about them. Information was limited, but what you did find told you that a monster's soul was just as vital to their existence as a human's heart or brain.

And you had felt the magic and energy that Papyrus' soul gave off.

A few of your dreams that week starred that moment in his living room, your face against his chest and his energy pulsing.

It shouldn't have surprised you when you were distracted at work, daydreaming about your skeleton boyfriend (the word itself made you even giddier). You got in trouble with your boss a few times but thankfully didn't get written up.

You talked with Patricia about your date, gushing all of the details about your dinner and meeting Mettaton in the flesh—er, metal.

On Thursday after work, Sans came over to hang out. He claimed he was bored, but you had a suspicion there was something else on his mind. You didn't want to cook, so you offered him a choice between cold cereal or hotdogs. He chose hotdogs and smothered his in so much mustard you thought you might puke.

"That's gross, dude."

He laughed at you as he shoved half the 'dog into his mouth. "nah, it's fuckin' delicious."

After dinner—he ate five hotdogs compared to your two—you both lounged on the couch as you browsed through shows on Netflix.

"So what's up?" you asked, mindlessly flipping from one title to the next.

"yer date with boss went well i take it? he hasn't shut up about it. it's gettin' kinda annoying. and by that i mean i'm fuckin' done listenin' to it."

You smiled and looked over at him. "It's annoying listening to him talk about it, so you came over here to listen to me talk about it?" You snickered and bumped his shoulder with yours. The action reminded you of when you'd smacked his arm, and your smile faded. "So, how come you never told me about your health?"

He was oddly quiet for a few long moments. "wasn't exactly itchin' ta admit i'm broken."

You leaned forward and turned to look at him, your gaze serious. "Sans, you're not broken."

He huffed. "yeah? then how come everyone else is gettin' better but i ain't? why'd he even tell you that shit anyway?"

"He was talking about how he can trust me around you and other monsters with health afflictions, and I put the pieces together. Do monsters get depression? I mean, like actual imbalances that make it impossible to just gain hope?" You struggled with your own depression and anxieties; you could empathize.

He nodded, obviously still unhappy about the conversation. "yeah. we've studied it and tried different things to raise my hp, but nothin' works. on the upside, i got karmic retribution."

That sounded cool. "What's that?"

"my attacks don't do a lotta damage up front, but karmic retribution kinda acts like a poison. it makes the person i'm attackin' relive all their sins and causes more damage that way."

You shuddered. "So does it make them feel guilty for what they've done?"

"can." He shrugged.

"Hmm. Do other monsters have that?"

"not that i know of. we've already theorized that the kr is kinda like an illness that prevents me from gainin' any hp. still don't make it feel like i ain't broken." He leaned back on the couch and took the remote from your hands. A few clicks later and a movie was starting.

"Well, I think the only thing broken about you is your sense of humor. Can you lay off of the sex stuff when me and Papyrus are together? I mean, it can be funny—in a really annoying and disturbing way—when it's just you and me, but it's…I don't like it at all when he's there too."

He sighed like you were asking him to run a marathon or pick up his socks, but you could tell from the look on his face that it was all theatrics. "yer no fun."

"I know. Thank you." You leaned in and rested your head against his bony shoulder.

"sure thing, sugar." He took your hand and squeezed gently.

The movie wasn't as good as you'd hoped, but it kept your attention well enough. Afterward, Sans went home and you got ready for bed. As had become routine by now, you texted Papyrus to tell him goodnight after you climbed under the covers. He responded with his usual 'sleep well' and you fell asleep quickly.

* * *

Saturday morning was spent stress cleaning your apartment. You drank three cups of coffee by accident (you had honestly forgotten about the first cup you drank) and used the subsequent energy burst to wash every load of laundry (all one and a half of them) and make sure every single nook and cranny of your apartment was clean enough to pass Papyrus' standards. You honestly couldn't say what those standards were but going based off of how clean he kept his own house you had a vague idea.

After a final check to make sure the coat closet was straightened enough, you finally went to figure out what you were going to wear. You didn't want to dress up today; you weren't actually going anywhere.

A flash of excitement made you shiver and bounce on your toes as you stood in front of your closet. You were going to spend several hours alone with Papyrus in your apartment. He was going to teach you things and you were likely going to get to feel his soul's pulse again. You were going to cook for him.

Oh, god. You had to cook. For Papyrus. The fucking master chef Papyrus. Goddammit, why did you let yourself make plans like this? Despite having already decided on what you were going to make and getting everything you needed for it during the last week, you were suddenly terrified that your kitchen skills were going to be subpar.

Well. Nothing you could do about it now.

You took a deep breath and refocused your attention on your outfit for the day. You settled on a good mix of comfort and style with a turquoise blouse with a wide neckline that sat low on your shoulders and a pleated black skirt that went to your knees. Once dressed, you put on some makeup and pulled your hair into a pony tail, then you made sure to clean everything back up and wipe down the counters so there was no evidence that you had ever pulled your makeup out to begin with.

When Papyrus showed up at four o'clock, you were chopping garlic for dinner. You let him in and took a second to thank all the gods you could think of because he had decided to wear his leather pants and that heaven-sent cropped shirt. The bones of his arms were on full display, not to mention the tops of his hips and a portion of his spine like before. He stepped in and bent to kiss your lips quickly.

You shut the door and turned to press your back against it as you looked up at him. He looked irritated about something, his frown a little deeper than usual. "Hi," you managed.

"GOOD AFTERNOON, Y/N. HOW ARE YOU TODAY?"

"I'm good. You?"

"FINE, ALTHOUGH I DON'T LIKE YOUR APARTMENT COMPLEX."

A bubble of insecurity rose up in your stomach, although you weren't sure why. There were a hundred reasons to dislike the complex you lived in, and that certainly didn't mean he liked you any less. Still, you had to swallow before you could speak again.

"Why?"

"THE GROUNDS ARE UNKEMPT AND DIRTY WHICH INDICATES LAZINESS OR LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY ON THE MANAGEMENT'S PART. THE SECURITY IS OBVIOUSLY TERRIBLE; I NOTICED TWO BROKEN WINDOWS ON MY WAY TO YOUR BUILDING AND THE CAMERAS ARE IN APPALLING CONDITION. YOUR NEIGHBORS ARE NOSY. THE WEATHER STRIPPING ON YOUR DOOR IS IN CLEAR DISREPAIR. HAVE YOU SPOKEN TO MANAGEMENT ABOUT THAT?"

"Um…no?" You were a little flabbergasted. "What's wrong with the security cameras?"

"I SAW THREE CAMERAS. ONE WAS NEARLY FALLING OFF THE WALL IT WAS ATTACHED TO, ONE HAD A VISIBLY CUT WIRE, AND THE THIRD ONE WAS FACING AWAY FROM THE AREA IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MONITORING."

He was clearly unimpressed. To say the least, your faith in your safety was just shot. You had been able to overlook a lot that was wrong with the place because of the cameras.

"There was a break-in a few weeks ago. Management said they were going to look into it, but I don't know if they did. I assumed they'd review the security footage, but if they're not working then obviously that didn't happen."

Papyrus stepped up to you and put his hands lightly on your shoulders, his thumbs grazing softly against your skin. You looked up at him and tried to smile despite your sudden uneasiness.

"YOU WILL BE FINE. SHOULD ANYTHING HAPPEN, YOU'LL TEXT ME OR SANS AND THE BOTH OF US WILL COME TO YOUR AID."

You nodded and reached up to put your hands over his. "Thank you."

He nodded curtly. "OF COURSE." He bent and kissed you once again before pulling away.

You made your way back to the kitchen and started chopping the garlic again while Papyrus looked around. He commented on a few things, filling your stomach with happy butterflies, before he joined you.

"WHAT ARE YOU MAKING?"

"General Tso's chicken. I figured we both like spicy so this would be a good choice." You glanced up at him, hoping your assumption hadn't been wrong.

He nodded silently, his eye lights fixed on your hands.

Knowing he was probably critiquing your technique and skill, you did your best to focus on what you were doing. He stayed beside you even as you turned to the stove and began the actual cooking. Your nerves were growing by the minute, but you ignored them as much as possible. He didn't say anything as you worked, but you weren't sure if that was a good thing or if he was silently wishing he could take over. You reminded yourself that he was the kind of person that would physically take over if he thought the process wasn't going how it should be, so that had to mean you were doing well enough for him to trust you with food he'd be eating.

A half an hour later, dinner was ready. You dished the plates and pouted a little; they didn't look nearly as pretty as the stir fry Papyrus had once made. You pushed that thought away and handed a plate to him. He took it and nodded, and you both made your way to the table.

"Did you bring the music?"

He handed you a disc. "YES."

Grinning, you took the disc and put it in your player. After making sure the volume wasn't too high, you went back to the table. The music was an incredible mix of electronic rock and metal that instantly made you appreciate the robot monster's talent.

The two of you ate in silence for a few minutes. You thought you'd done a pretty damn good job on the meal, but you couldn't help but wonder what Papyrus thought of it. He wasn't offering up any opinions, it seemed, so you made yourself be brave.

"What do you think?"

He looked at you for a moment. "ABOUT WHAT?"

You made yourself keep your smile on your face. "Dinner, silly."

He glanced at his plate before meeting your eyes again. "OH. IT'S DECENT."

Well, at least that was better than inedible. You told yourself to quit being a silly little girl when you felt your stomach tying itself in knots.

"You could have done better, I assume." Wow. You really hadn't meant to sound so petulant.

"YES, OF COURSE." There was a slight pause before he sighed. "DID I OFFEND YOU?"

You shook your head and once again reminded yourself that you were a grown woman with big girl panties; you did not need him to praise you to know you that you were a good cook. So what if he was better? But, dammit, you had really hoped he'd enjoy it.

"No. I knew it wouldn't be that great." You had to get over this quickly, otherwise this thing with Papyrus wasn't going to last. There were too many things that he was undoubtedly better at than you, and you needed to learn that he wasn't going to give you praise when you didn't deserve it.

He reached out and took your hand. "I APOLOGIZE FOR UPSETTING YOU. IT'S UNFAIR OF ME TO COMPARE YOUR SKILL TO MINE. YOU DID WELL."

You sucked in a deep breath and squeezed his fingers. "Thanks."

He took his hand back to finish eating. After dinner, you and Papyrus cleaned up the kitchen then went to the couch. The music was still playing, and you took the remote to turn the volume down a little more.

"I've really liked this. It's interesting, and he's obviously talented. Did he work with anyone else on this?"

"NO, IT WAS JUST HIM."

You nodded. You were both silent for a minute, and you let yourself look him over again. He sat back against the cushions with one arm draped around the back of the couch toward you and the other resting beside him. One leg was crossed over the opposite knee. The way he was sitting gave you an excellent view of his hip bones and the exposed portion of his spine. Your fingers itched to reach out and touch him. Instead, you forced your eyes up, moving to his arm on the couch and the way his bones seemed longer and somehow sharper than human bones.

"YOU'RE STARING AT ME AGAIN."

You blushed and met his eyes. "Yes, but you have an excellent physique."

He smirked, and you watched with an ever-darkening flush as his eye lights grazed over your body, slowly moving down and taking in your form before finally coming back up to meet your eyes again.

"YOU ARE QUITE ATTRACTIVE AS WELL." His hand on the back of the couch reached over and lightly touched your cheek. "ESPECIALLY WITH THAT BLUSH." His fingers slowly moved down your neck, causing your heart to start beating triple-time and your breath to quicken almost embarrassingly loudly, before settling on your shoulder. He pulled gently. "COME HERE."

You did as you were told, scooting closer. His hand was still insistent on your shoulder, so you continued to move closer until your thigh was touching his. His arm rested over your shoulders and he pressed his teeth to your forehead. When he pulled back, you didn't even try to stop yourself from turning enough to reach out to him. Your arms wound around his shoulders as you leaned in and kissed him. His hand on your back held you firmly in place as his other hand moved to settle on the back of your head.

As you kissed him, you found yourself pressing closer and wanting more. Heat flooded your body and your mouth opened before you had a chance to filter your actions. Instead of pulling back or breaking the kiss as you feared he might, Papyrus cautiously opened his mouth as well. You pushed aside every ounce of hesitation and let your tongue slide forward to gently lick at his teeth. Although you could feel the definite sharpness, there was no pain and no damage.

Just as you were about to move back, something warm and wet met your tongue. You sucked in a quick, surprised breath and pulled back.

"DID I HURT YOU?" His fingers in your hair tensed.

You licked your lips. "No, but what was that?"

He looked confused. "DO YOU MEAN MY TONGUE?"

Skeletons didn't have tongues. You mentally slapped yourself as you realized you were comparing him to a human skeleton. He wasn't anything of the sort; he was a monster and it was perfectly reasonable for him to have a tongue. You felt the blush creep back up on your face.

"Yeah, I guess. Sorry, it just surprised me." You leaned in and placed a quick kiss on his closed mouth. "Um…can I see it?"

He smirked. "ONLY IF I CAN SEE YOURS."

That was a deal you had no problem making. Without hesitation, you opened your mouth and stuck out your tongue. You moved it around this way and that, curled it into a taco which made him laugh again, then pulled it back in.

His eye lights moved to your eyes as he opened his jaw. A strange red glow built up in his mouth before a bright red, glowing tongue slithered out past his teeth. Two silver studs, one right behind the other, shone in a pretty contrast to the red of his tongue. You could only stare in awe as he moved it around like you had done with yours. It was long—longer than any human tongue you'd ever seen—and the way it moved reminded you of a tentacle.

"Wow."

He pulled it back in before he shut his mouth. You didn't wait for him to say anything, too eager to kiss him again. You leaned forward again and pressed your mouth to his teeth. His hands immediately tightened once more against you, and neither of you waited to deepen the kiss. The energy that danced around in your mouth was familiar and comforting.

One hand gripped his shirt at his shoulder while the other slipped up to feel the bones of his neck. He sucked in a breath and held you tighter as his tongue shoved further into your mouth. You accepted him eagerly, a soft moan escaping your throat at the intoxicating spiciness of his taste. The studs offered a strange yet welcome sensation as you explored each other's mouths. Your fingers glided easily over his bones, feeling out each divot and sharp process of each vertebra until they reached the base of his skull. Warmth that had already begun spreading through your body only became hotter and started to throb, pulsing in time with your rapid heartbeat.

Papyrus was the first to pull back several moments later. He rested his forehead against yours, both of you panting, and closed his eyes.

"THAT WAS THE BEST KISS I HAVE EVER HAD."

You smirked a little and smoothed out his shirt where you'd been holding. "Me too."

He lifted his head and met your eyes. "REALLY?"

Nodding, you let your hand that was still on his skull drop down to his chest. "What, you're not going to tell me that of course it was because you're—"

"YOU ARE THE FIRST HUMAN I HAVE KISSED," he interrupted, almost sounding a little indignant. The look on his face didn't match his tone. "I MAY HAVE IMPRESSIVE CONTROL OF MY MAGIC, BUT IT'S DIFFICULT TO TAILOR THAT TO WHAT A HUMAN WOULD ENJOY WHEN I DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THAT MIGHT BE."

"Well," you cleared your throat, trying to keep from blushing much more than you already were. "I thoroughly enjoyed that."

"I'M GLAD TO HEAR IT."

You adjusted yourself enough to lean in and rest your head against his chest, both arms in front of you and happy to feel the thrum of his soul again. One of his bony hands rubbed your back while the other took both of your hands and held them gently in his lap. A comfortable silence stretched on for a long while as you allowed yourself to explore his phalanges and metacarpals.

Fifteen minutes passed before Papyrus spoke.

"I WANT YOU TO CLOSE YOUR EYES AND THINK ABOUT CHECKING MY STATUS. YOU CAN FEEL MY SOUL, AND BEING AS CLOSE TO IT AS YOU ARE NOW SHOULD BE HELPFUL. INTENT IS EVERYTHING. IF YOU REACH OUT TO MY SOUL WITH THE INTENT OF CHECKING MY STATUS, YOU SHOULD SEE SEVERAL SETS OF LETTERS AND NUMBERS."

You did as he said, focusing carefully on his health. His body jerked slightly under you and he grunted just as the letters and numbers appeared in your head. They disappeared immediately as you pulled back.

"Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

"I'M FINE AND YOU DIDN'T HURT ME. PERFORMING A CHECK ON A MONSTER IS SIMILAR TO AN ATTACK IN THAT IT CAN BE FELT BY THE MONSTER THAT YOU'RE CHECKING. WHILE IT DOESN'T HURT, I DISLIKE ANYTHING TOUCHING MY SOUL."

"Oh. I don't want to make you uncomfortable, Papyrus. We don't need to do this." You were a little bummed; you had gotten really excited about learning a new skill that not many humans would have.

He leaned his head down and kissed your lips. "I WANT YOU TO DO THIS. IF IT UPSET ME OR MADE ME UNCOMFORTABLE, I WOULD NOT HAVE SUGGESTED IT."

You sucked in a deep breath and nodded. "Okay." Laying your head back down, you closed your eyes and once again focused on checking his status. He didn't flinch this time as the numbers appeared in your head.

HP: 1,360/1,360  
ATK: 1,630  
DEF: 1,630

LV: 12  
EXP: 2,500

You sat up again and looked at him. "What do the different letters mean?"

He hesitated only for a moment before he began to walk you through everything.

"HP IS HOPE. WE DISCUSSED THAT DURING OUR LAST DATE, SO I'M SURE YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. ATK IS ATTACK; IT'S THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE I CAN INFLICT ON A PERSON SHOULD I ATTACK THEM. DEF IS DEFENSE; IT'S HOW MUCH I CAN PROTECT MYSELF FROM AN ATTACK WITHOUT THE USE OF ARMOR BEYOND MY USUAL UNIFORM."

You nodded again. "Your numbers seem pretty high. Are they good?"

"YES. I HAVE EXCEPTIONAL HEALTH."

A smile spread across your face at that, and you couldn't help but lean in and kiss him. "What about the other two? LV and EXP?"

Once again, he hesitated. His hand on yours tensed and the one rubbing your back stopped, settling at your waist. "BEFORE I EXPLAIN WHAT THOSE MEAN, PLEASE REMEMBER THAT LIFE IN THE UNDERGROUND WAS HOSTILE. EVERY MONSTER DID THINGS THEY WOULD RATHER NOT DO IN THE NAME OF SURVIVAL. I HAD NOT ONLY MYSELF BUT ALSO SANS TO PROTECT, AND I MADE DAMN SURE MY BROTHER WAS SAFE."

"I understand. You won't scare me; I promise." You squeezed his fingers reassuringly.

He nodded. "VERY WELL. LV IS LEVEL OF VIOLENCE; IT'S MY CAPACITY TO HURT OTHERS AND DISTANCE MYSELF FROM THE EFFECTS OF DOING SO. EXP IS EXECUTION POINTS; IT QUANTIFIES HOW MUCH PAIN I HAVE INFLICTED ON OTHERS, NOT JUST THE ONES I'VE KILLED. LV INCREASES AFTER GAINING SO MUCH EXP."

You let the information sink in for a moment, playing with his fingers as a way to hopefully let him know you were still calm and unafraid. Having been the captain of the Royal Guard had to mean that his LV and EXP were higher than other monsters'. Even if you were pretty confident in your assumption, you decided to ask for verification.

"I take it your numbers there are also pretty high?"

He squirmed beside you, obviously uncomfortable. You felt bad, but you needed to reassure him that this conversation had no ill effect on you.

"YES."

You looked up at him and squeezed his fingers again. "I'm still not afraid of you. Like you said, you and other monsters had to do things you would rather not do just to  _survive_. Then add on that you were a member of the Royal Guard and had to kill humans, and being the captain had to mean that you were forced to be even more brutal. Papyrus, you're not there anymore. You said yourself that you're happy to be able to protect monsters without the need for violence." You leaned in and kissed him one more time. "I admire you for doing what had to be done to protect yourself and your brother, and for making it out of that place alive. Now that you're here, though, maybe try to forgive yourself a little?"

"YOU AMAZE ME." His face and the tone in his voice showed his awe. "EVEN FRISK IS STILL NERVOUS AROUND ME."

"Frisk was in the underground with you. I assume they probably saw you in action a few times?"

"YES. I CAPTURED THEM MORE THAN ONCE. WE FOUGHT. THEIR DETERMINATION WAS THE ONLY THING THAT KEPT THEM ALIVE."

That was a little scary. As safe as you felt around him, you couldn't fathom actually fighting against him using magical attacks. "I would bet that's why they're still nervous around you, then. I can't imagine what they went through, but they still agreed to be the ambassador and work for monster freedom in a human society. They're very brave. Your average, everyday human has no reason to be afraid of you."

"DON'T EQUATE YOURSELF WITH AN AVERAGE HUMAN. YOU ARE SOMETHING SPECIAL." His arm around you tightened in a brief hug.

"Well, thank you." You leaned in and rested against his chest once more, savoring the silence that followed and his soul pulsing steadily under his ribs.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Papyrus needs to learn how to control himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come play with me on Tumblr! Sheewolf85.tumblr.com I reblog cool Undertale stuff (among other things) and sometimes I post stuff.

You ended up making out with Papyrus two more times before he left for the night. As desperately as you wanted to let your hands wander, you kept them carefully in check and were grateful when he did the same. He said you could have the CD he'd brought over; he had another copy at home. You grinned at him as you asked him to let you know when he got home. He gave you a smirk in return and touched your cheek as he promised he would.

After he left, you danced to your bathroom and began your nightly routine. The date had lasted much longer than you had anticipated—not that you were complaining—and it was two hours past your normal bed time. Despite that, you found that you weren't tired at all. You replayed key moments from the night over and over, squealing to yourself in utter lovestruck excitement.

An hour later, Papyrus texted you to let you know he'd made it home. The two of you texted for another twenty minutes before you finally went to bed.

It wasn't until the next morning that you realized you hadn't actually set up another date.

Over the next couple of days, you made a point to ask your monster friends if you could check their statuses. Some of them were hesitant to let you, and you didn't push them. Others were happy to know that you were learning more about their species. You got better at it and got a pretty good idea of what normal stats looked like. You began to understand that Papyrus had downplayed just how high his LV and EXP really were. You still weren't scared.

You got curious about human stats and experimented on checking a few of your human friends. You were pleasantly surprised to find that you could do just that, and they didn't feel anything pull on them when you did so. Curious about the difference in their numbers, you made a note to talk to either Sans or Papyrus about it the next time you spoke to them.

Your human friends seemed to have much lower stats than your monster friends, with a few exceptions. Most had an HP around twenty, ATK and DEF both around ten, one LV and no EXP.

The one LV concerned you. You wanted to believe that your friends would have no capacity to hurt others. It made you wonder what your own stats were, but you weren't sure how to check those. You tried, but no numbers ever showed.

Then you checked a friend who had three LV and thirty EXP.

That evening, after work, you texted Sans to see if he was free to come over. He was, and you hugged him tightly in relief when he teleported directly into your living room.

"whoa, sugar, you okay?" he asked, tentatively patting your back.

"I don't really know. I need to ask you about a few things about LV and EXP."

He narrowed his sockets and took a step back. "this ain't got nothin' to do with boss, does it?"

"No, it doesn't. It's actually a human friend."

He relaxed immediately and sat down on the couch. "aight. come sit down and tell me what's goin' on." He patted the cushion next to him.

You sat and sucked in a deep breath. You explained how you'd been checking your friends and getting better at it, and also about your concerns with the friend with an elevated LV.

Sans listened patiently and waited for you to finish before he said anything.

"you know what yer own stats are yet?" he asked.

You shook your head. "No; I haven't figured out how to check that."

"cool. you got two lv. don't get all upset, sugar; that don't mean you went around killin' anyone, okay? it just means that you got a capacity to hurt people more than some others do. that ain't always a bad thing. you tell it like it is and you don't let someone's hurt feelings make you back down from somethin' that's important to ya. lv ain't all about physical violence; not when it comes ta humans. if you were in the underground, then you'd only get exp and lv by killin' monsters. out here, you can get that shit by, say, breakin' off a long-term friendship over a disagreement on how monsters should be treated."

You sucked in a relieved breath and reached over to hug him. "Thank you. I was really worried I was friends with a killer. They're like me, though; they lost a lot of friends after the barrier broke when they wouldn't stay friends with someone who wanted you all dead."

He nodded.

"Hey, speaking of stats, can I check yours?" You smiled up at him and batted your eyelids, figuring he would probably decline.

To your delight, he shrugged. "sure."

You sat up and performed the check.

HP: 5  
ATK: 1  
DEF: 1

LV: 6  
EXP: 200  
KR

You looked at him, a worried expression on your face. "Sans…holy shit. Only five HP?"

"yeah, i know. it fuckin' sucks."

"Why isn't there a number by KR?"

He shrugged again. "the amount'a kr i use depends on who i'm fightin' and what attack i use. it ain't a fixed number like the rest of 'em."

You nodded your understanding. The two of you were quiet for a moment while you took in this new information. After a while, Sans spoke again.

"so you gonna feed me, or do i gotta raid yer kitchen on my own?"

With a laugh, you got up to fix something for dinner.

* * *

The next time you and Papyrus were able to get together wasn't exactly a date. You wanted to introduce him to more of your friends, so you invited him to join you for a night out while you celebrated Josh's completion of his degree.

"You're going to love Josh," you said with a grin. "He's so fun to be around."

Papyrus grunted, and you looked over to see him staring out the passenger window. You assumed he just didn't like not driving. So he had a few issues with control…he could get over it for one night.

You pulled up to the house Josh shared with his roommates. Tim and Brady were cool, too, but you just hadn't spent as much time as them as you had with Josh.

You led the way into the house, holding Papyrus' hand. You shouted a greeting once inside and pulled away from Papyrus just as Josh scooped you up in a big hug.

"How's my sweetheart?" he said as he all but crushed your body. His hugs were the best.

"Oh, I'm good! How are you?" You hugged him back just as tightly.

He finally pulled back but didn't let you go. "I'm tipsy. Good, but tipsy." He kissed your nose, and his eyes darted behind you when Papyrus made a strange noise you weren't sure how to describe. It was almost a cross between a grunt and a growl.

You finally pulled away and turned to grab Papyrus' hand once again. "Josh, this is Papyrus, my boyfriend."

Josh looked up and grinned. "It's so good to finally meet you, dude! I've heard a lot about you." He held out his hand, but Papyrus ignored it. You glanced up at him to see him scowling a little deeper than usual.

You decided not to act on anything yet. If Papyrus thought he was going to get away with going all caveman on you, he had another thing coming. You had several male friends, all of whom got physical with their greetings.

"Congratulations, by the way!" You hoped to ease the tension that had suddenly cropped up between the guys. "I'm so proud of you." You reached out and lightly punched Josh's arm.

Josh beamed again. "Thanks, sweetie! Hey, come in. You don't need to hover by the door. Take your shoes off." He waved in the general direction of a basket by the door where shoes were kept.

You slipped out of your tennis shoes and watched as Papyrus did the same. He put his arm around your shoulders as he walked with you into the dining room where a group of your closest friends sat playing a video game. The rest of the group was focused intently on the screen, two people in the middle as they raced each other. A few hellos were tossed your way, but nobody actually came up to greet you until the race was over. Once it was, you were almost immediately pulled out of Papyrus' grip by Michael.

Michael was a large man. He was tall—although not as tall as Papyrus—and heavy with a thick beard that scratched your forehead every single time he hugged you. You had never seen him afraid of anything. In fact, you'd seen him be the one to cause the fear when a pencildick tried to fuck with you in a bar one time.

However, when Papyrus full-on growled, Michael pulled away from you faster than you'd ever seen him move before.

"Whoa," he said softly. "Didn't expect that. Hey, dude; I'm Mike."

Once again, Papyrus refused to shake his hand. You sighed and gave Michael an apologetic glance.

"Can you not?" You said, crossing your arms as you looked at Papyrus.

He glanced at you. "WHAT?"

"Don't act stupid. You know what I'm talking about." With that, you turned back to your friends and allowed yourself to be pulled into a hug by Amie. Oddly enough, Amie's hug didn't warrant a warning from the apparently scary skeleton.

You managed to get through the rest of the greetings without Papyrus intimidating any more of your friends. You introduced him to everyone and beamed happily when every single person was just as friendly as you had told Papyrus they would be.

You had hoped that Papyrus would make an effort to get to know your friends, but you probably should have known better. He wasn't exactly the social type when it came to humans. At least he wasn't actively ignoring anyone anymore. He engaged in conversation when someone started one with him.

Halfway through the evening, Michael and Josh pulled out more alcohol. You had already decided you weren't going to drink because you were driving. Papyrus pulled you onto his lap on the couch and kissed your cheek.

"YOU CAN DRINK IF YOU WANT TO. I COULD DRIVE YOU HOME."

You smiled at him. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? Get me all drunk and loose?"

He blinked. "THAT WASN'T AT ALL WHAT I MEANT."

You turned your head and kissed his teeth. "I know; I was kidding. I don't feel like drinking, so I won't. Thank you for the offer, though."

He just nodded.

Watching your friends slowly spiral down into an intoxicated mess was hilarious. Josh's flirting was becoming so blatant that several other guys were a near constant shade of red. Amie had the brilliant idea of putting on some music and turning the night into a dance party. You were pulled out of Papyrus' lap by Stephanie, and you had to hide your grin. If only he knew how ragingly gay she was.

You had a great time dancing with your friends until Josh got a little too handsy. You knew, without a single doubt, that it was a mistake. He had meant to put his hand on your shoulder. But when it landed on your breast, Papyrus was beside you in an instant with his hand wrapped tightly around Josh's wrist.

"DON'T. TOUCH. HER." He growled.

"Hey, let him go." You tried to get Papyrus to release Josh, but he wouldn't.

The music was turned down so the situation could be dealt with. Josh was apologizing and clearly in pain.

"Papyrus let him go right now," you demanded.

He finally did, only to grip you by the arm and start leading you away. You took the lead, deciding now was a great time to let him know exactly what you thought of his possessive behavior. You took him out onto the porch and turned to him.

"I asked you to stop doing that," you snapped.

"HE TOUCHED YOU!"

"That was an accident." You crossed your arms and looked up at him. "Papyrus, you can't keep doing this. My guy friends are allowed to touch me. Not like that, obviously, but that was a mistake. You cannot get all possessive and shit when my friends hug me."

He crossed his arms as well. "HOW DO YOU KNOW IT WAS AN ACCIDENT? I'M NOT BLIND; HE'S BEEN LOOKING AT YOU ALL NIGHT."

You laughed. "Josh is the gayest man I have ever met in my entire life. He was probably looking at you, you doofus."

"THEN WHY DID HE TOUCH YOU."

You sighed. "I told you, that was a mistake. First of all, he's drunk and his coordination is probably shot. Second, I was shimmying all over the place and he was going for my shoulders. What you did, though? Not cool. I'm not going to run off with someone else, okay? Please just stop."

He was silent for a moment, and you looked up at him. He didn't look very happy. "I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT YOU RUNNING OFF WITH ANYONE ELSE, Y/N. I TRUST YOU. IT'S—"

"Please don't tell me it's the guys you don't trust. I trust my friends. I have known these people for years, and I know that every single one of them respects me enough to keep their hands to themselves. Stephanie is a lesbian and has had a crush on me since junior high school. I'm not into girls, or I would have explored that by now. Just because someone's a woman doesn't mean they can't want me. But I only have eyes for you, and they respect that. You need to learn to respect that, too."

He nodded that time and sucked in a deep breath. "I'LL TRY."

"Try hard, Papyrus. I really, really like you. I don't want something silly like this to get between us." You reached out and put a hand on his arm, hoping to reassure him.

"IT'S NOT  _SILLY_ , Y/N."

You tried something else. "Okay, maybe it isn't to you. If we were in a crowd of strangers and someone touched me, then maybe I would appreciate you getting territorial with me because I wouldn't know what to expect from them. I still think I could handle myself just fine, but that's not the point I'm trying to make here. I know what to expect from my friends, and I need you to trust  _me_  on that."

After a moment, he nodded again. "OKAY." He pulled you into a hug and kissed your head. "I'M SORRY FOR SCARING YOUR FRIEND."

You smiled. "I think you should apologize to him."

He groaned but didn't protest. You went back in and diffused the situation, and Papyrus managed to apologize for what he'd done. He even healed the bruises he'd caused on Josh's wrist, which was cool.

At the end of the night, you offered to take a few friends home. After dropping them off and making sure each person got inside safely, you went home.

Papyrus followed you inside and kissed you once the door was shut.

"Thank you for coming with me. Did you have fun?"

He shrugged and pulled you close to him. "I SUPPOSE SO. DID YOU?" He ran his phalanges through your hair and leaned into kiss you again.

"I did." You reached up to hold his shoulders as he kissed you once more, this time opening his mouth. You accepted him eagerly and pulled him backward until your back hit the door. He pressed against you, his hands instantly roaming your sides to your hips and gripping tightly.

He kissed you like a man starved, small grunts and growls sounding in his chest as he got further into it. You couldn't help but whimper as you held him tighter and kissed him deeper, heat raging through your body. You couldn't get close enough, even on your tip-toes.

Suddenly, he grunted loudly and wrapped his arms around you, lifting you off the ground. You squeaked, never breaking the kiss, and found yourself wrapping your legs around his hips. He groaned deeply and pressed harder against you, his whole body fitted against yours.

Then it happened. He shifted just slightly, his hips pressed against you, and you felt it. A bulge in his pants hit between your legs just right, and you broke the kiss to cry out and shoved your hips forward. He ground against you, panting wildly, and causing your whole body to shake with so much need it was overwhelming.

You gripped his skull and pulled him in for another kiss, this one searing in its intensity.

You weren't sure how or why you were granted a tiny moment of clarity, but you realized just how heated you had gotten. You hadn't even gone on three full dates with him yet! You knew without a doubt that you wanted him, but you weren't ready to go all the way with him.

Breaking the kiss, you laid your head on his shoulder and stilled your hips. "Papyrus?"

He stopped as well, still holding you up against the door, but gentler now. "ARE YOU OKAY?"

You couldn't help but laugh a little. "I am so much more than okay." You lifted your head and placed a gentle kiss on his teeth. "But I need to stop."

He nodded and immediately set you down. He smoothed your hair down and kissed you again.

You took his hand and led him to the couch where you snuggled into his side and thoroughly ignored the red glow coming from his pants. Yes, you were curious. No, you weren't ready. Instead, you rested against his side and held his phalanges in your fingers, gently massaging each bone, and carefully listened to the soft thrum of his soul as it slowed it's rhythm down to a normal pace.

"THANK YOU, Y/N."

You looked up at him. "For what?"

"FOR EVERYTHING. FOR BEING WHO YOU ARE. FOR NOT LETTING ME FUCK THIS UP BY BEING A POSSESSIVE ASSHOLE."

You smiled and nuzzled his chest. "I guess you're welcome then."

He didn't stay much longer. As much as you really wanted to ask him to stay with you, he had to work early and you really weren't sure you'd be able to stop yourself should things get heated again.

After he left, you skipped through your nightly routine and went to bed with a satisfied smile on your face.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Papyrus digs deep and you mouth off. Those are puns. Papyrus would hate me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I had the best time writing this chapter, you guys. Like, seriously. I love their relationship so much. I almost broke this chapter into two parts, but then I decided it really all needed to be together. So, you get an extra-long chapter!
> 
> A few things really quick: It’s looking like this story is going to be around 15 chapters in total, so we’re getting closer to the end. Like, that makes me sad but happy at the same time, because happy endings are happy. If that’s a spoiler for you, then you really haven’t gotten the fact that this is a fluff-fest and I feel sorry for you.
> 
> Second, because I’m a total whore for supporting healthy relationships in every single possible way, remember that open and honest communication is *essential* to a healthy relationship. At the risk of plagiarizing someone somewhere (because I know I heard this somewhere I just can’t remember where), if you can’t talk about it you shouldn’t be doing it. Talk to your partners about sex before you have sex, folks. If your partner can’t be open with you then they probably aren’t mature enough (mentally or otherwise) to be having sex in the first place!
> 
> I’ll get off my soap box now. 
> 
> Lastly, the rating has changed, my dudes! There is officially sex in this story! Woohoo! It only took us ten goddamn chapters, but hey! I did say slow burn, didn’t I?
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> wink, wink.

The next time you saw Papyrus, your body reminded you in very specific ways of how good you had felt pinned against the door by him. You managed to keep your thoughts to yourself and survived your third official date with him by touching him as often as possible.

Although you knew without any kind of doubts that Papyrus did actually have a dick and Sans wasn't just being a total ass, you still weren't sure how you would go about having sex with a skeleton. A part of you wanted to just say dick goes in pussy and leave it at that, but you knew sex was so much more than bumping uglies. How would you please him? What parts of him felt good and what did he not like touched? You wanted to figure these things out before you made a fool of yourself in the bedroom.

After dinner, Papyrus took you to a cute ice cream shop and you spent the next hour and a half wandering around town and pretending you weren't practicing your blow job skills on a frozen treat. If Papyrus suspected anything, he wasn't showing it. He held your hand in his as you both played "I Spy". You had a hell of a time concentrating enough to figure out what he saw while he seemed to always guess what you saw in the first two tries. You chalked it up to the observation skills he'd learned in the underground—he never missed a thing and was able to pinpoint fine details in seconds.

You had to admit you found that hot.

When you got home that evening, you had all but decided that the best way to figure shit out was to talk about it.

The plan for your date already included him staying for a while to eat snacks and put a puzzle together. He'd been ridiculously excited about the idea when you suggested it. You had only known that he liked puzzles, but apparently changing seasons and birds were two of his favorite things. The image was cute; it had four panels, each surrounded by a blue border. Each panel contained a few birds perched on a branch with a different season, beginning with autumn on the far left and ending with summer on the right. When viewed as a whole, it was the same tree spanning all four panels.

Papyrus helped you prepare a few bowls of treats—all healthy snacks like nuts and granola because apparently Papyrus was a health fanatic or something—and took them to the table where the puzzle box was waiting.

He picked up the box to open it and smiled at the picture. You took the opportunity to start a conversation.

"I never would have guessed that you like birds as much as you do," you said as you sat down. You popped a few almonds in your mouth and watched him sit next to you.

He looked over at you as he set the top of the box on its side at the far end of the table, picture side facing the both of you. "ASIDE FROM A FEW MONSTERS, THE ONLY BIRDS IN THE UNDERGROUND WERE ONES THAT WERE TOO WOUNDED TO FLY BACK OUT. EVEN THOSE MONSTERS THAT CLASSIFY AS BIRDS CAN'T FLY. I'D READ ABOUT DIFFERENT BIRD SPECIES IN BOOKS AND ALWAYS ENVIED THEIR FREEDOM."

That made too much sense. You really should have considered that. You gave him a sheepish look, hoping you hadn't made some mistake by overlooking something so obvious, but he didn't seem fazed in the least. Instead, he began picking through the mound of puzzle pieces, sorting them as you watched. You took a breath and started helping just as something else occurred to you.

"Did you have changing seasons?" Maybe that was why he liked those, too.

He shook his head. "NO. WELL, SOMEWHAT. SANS AND I LIVED IN SNOWDIN, WHICH, AS THE NAME SUGGESTS, WAS A SNOWY HELL HOLE. HOTLAND WAS HOT AS FUCK, AND WATERFALL WAS WET." He sounded distracted as he spoke, paying more attention to what he was doing than the words he was saying. It was cute. "NOTHING EVER CHANGED, THOUGH. THE SNOW IN SNOWDIN NEVER MELTED AND THE ONLY WAY TO COOL OFF IN HOTLAND WAS TO LEAVE. AGAIN, I'D READ ABOUT CHANGING SEASONS BUT NEVER DREAMED I'D ACTUALLY GET TO SEE A LANDSCAPE GO FROM SNOWDIN TO WATERFALL WITHOUT TRAVELING. IT'S BEAUTIFUL."

You smiled and leaned over to kiss his cheekbone. He smiled at you, and for a while you were both silent as you worked on the puzzle. Papyrus never took any of the snacks, but you didn't let that deter you.

"Papyrus…can I ask you something?"

He sat back, giving you his full attention. "OF COURSE. IS EVERYTHING OKAY?"

Smiling again, you nodded. "Yeah, but I'm curious about something. It's, um…" You felt your cheeks heat up. "It's…I want to talk to you about sex." You met his sockets, certain that your face was just as red as his eye lights.

He blushed, too. The way his cheekbones glowed never failed to be completely adorable. "OKAY."

"Are you okay with that? I have some questions for you, but I don't want to make you uncomfortable." You picked up a puzzle piece and found where it went.

Papyrus reached out and gently touched your cheek. "THIS IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD BOTH FEEL COMFORTABLE TALKING TO EACH OTHER ABOUT, AND IT SHOULD PROBABLY BE DISCUSSED BEFORE WE…ACT ON ANYTHING."

Relieved that he felt the same way you did, you nodded. "I agree. So, my first question is kind of strange, and you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but how do skeletons have sex?"

He seemed to think about his answer for a moment before he shrugged. "IT'S NOT MUCH DIFFERENT FROM THE WAY HUMANS HAVE SEX, EXCEPT OUR GENITALS ARE MADE OF MAGIC AND WILL ONLY APPEAR WHEN WE'RE AROUSED."

You nodded. "Do you have erogenous zones?"

His brow ridge furrowed. "I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS."

"Oh. Like, areas that feel really good and turn you on when touched or kissed?"

His cheekbones darkened. "OH. MY RIBS ARE SENSITIVE, I SUPPOSE. MY SPINE. THE CERVICAL VERTEBRAE HERE—" he gestured to his neck "—ARE VERY SENSITIVE TO TOUCH. I HAVEN'T REALLY EXPLORED ANYTHING BEYOND THAT."

That was interesting. "What do you mean? Like, you haven't explored other areas with a partner?"

He shook his head. "NO. AS EMBARRASSING AS IT IS TO ADMIT THIS, AND WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CERVICAL VERTEBRAE, I DISCOVERED THOSE SENSITIVE SPOTS ON MY OWN."

You were both silent for a moment before something Sans once said to you came back. Papyrus had never had a crush before. You looked over at him, studying his form for a moment, before you asked your next question.

"Have you…y'know? Have you had sex before?"

He laughed that time. "YES, I HAVE. HOWEVER, IT WAS NEVER AN ACT DONE FOR THE PURPOSE OF BEING CLOSE TO ANOTHER PERSON. TRUSTING ANYONE IN THE UNDERGROUND WAS HARD ENOUGH AS IT WAS, BUT WE ALL STILL HAD NEEDS. I HAD AN ARRANGEMENT OF SORTS WITH A FEW DIFFERENT MONSTERS. NONE OF US EVER TOOK OUR TIME TO PLEASE ONE ANOTHER BEYOND ORGASM; IT WAS A QUICK FUCK AND WE WERE BOTH ON OUR WAY."

You nodded again. Before you could say anything, Papyrus spoke again.

"HAVE YOU?"

"Yeah, I have. I was a bit, um…adventurous, I guess you could say, when I first started exploring my sexuality. My parents were all about safe sex education and made sure I knew how to protect myself." You paused for a second as something occurred to you. "Speaking of…can I get pregnant from you?"

His sockets narrowed in a way that told you he was thinking about your question. After a few moments, he shook his head. "I DON'T KNOW. I'LL ASK SANS." He patted his pockets for a moment before realizing he didn't have his phone on him. He'd left it in the car. Neither of you felt like interrupting your conversation, so he decided it could wait.

"Maybe for the first little while we should still use condoms just in case?"

He nodded his agreement. "I DO KNOW THAT ANY DISEASES A MONSTER HAS CANNOT BE TRANSFERRED TO A HUMAN, AND VICE VERSA."

You smiled brightly; that kind of information had spread like wildfire when monsters first started branching out into nearby cities and towns, moving out of the cramped camp on the side of Mount Ebott. Although the initial study hadn't involved sexually transmitted diseases, it had been inferred and then proven a year later when monster and human couples began cropping up and demanding real answers on the subject.

"It's nice to know, but I also want you to know that I am clean. No STD's here."

He leaned in and kissed you. "I'M CLEAN AS WELL."

Of course he was. He was the epitome of health and he took pride in his body. You had no doubts to begin with, but just having the confirmation made him seem that much sexier.

Before either of you could say anything else on the subject, your phone beeped across the room. You got up to go get it.

_**Sans:** _ _hey is boss still with ya? he ain't answering his phone._

You smirked as you sat back down and typed a response.

_**You:** _ _Yeah, he's here. He left his phone in the car. Aww, do you need your li'l bro?_

_**Sans:** _ _just tell him to get some dinner on his way home. i'm too tired to make anything._

You snorted and handed your phone to Papyrus. "Your brother needs you."

Papyrus sat up straight, furrowing his brow ridge, before all but yanking your phone out of your hands. He relaxed immediately when he realized what Sans needed and typed something back. A few seconds later, he glared at you.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?"

Curious, you leaned over to see what he was talking about as you popped an almond in your mouth. He had exited out of the messages with Sans and was pointing at the name you'd give him in your phone. You snickered.

"That's you."

"I GET THAT, BUT WHY HAVE YOU GIVEN ME  _THAT_  NAME?"

You gave him a look. "Do you really have to ask me that?"

"IF I DIDN'T, I WOULDN'T BE ASKING YOU. EXPLAIN YOURSELF." He set the phone down, keeping his hand over it probably purposefully so you couldn't get it back until you gave him a satisfactory answer.

You cleared your throat. "You're prone to throwing tantrums, Papyrus. It's a fact of life." You shrugged.

He didn't calm down. "I AM NOT! I HAVE  _NEVER_ , IN MY LIFE, THROWN A TANTRUM. I DEMAND THAT YOU CHANGE THIS RIGHT NOW." He slid the phone over to you, glaring with what you thought was probably something supposed to be intimidating.

You really tried to keep yourself from laughing at him. You coughed a few times to suppress the urge as you put your hand over his and gently eased your phone out from beneath his fingers. "Papyrus…baby…what do you think you're doing right now?"

He blinked. "I'M…WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN? I'M ASKING YOU TO CHANGE THE OBNOXIOUS CONTACT NAME YOU'VE GIVEN ME."

You leaned in and kissed him. "No, you're not asking at all. You literally demanded that I change it, but I'm not going to. Please tell me that you know what a tantrum is."

He scoffed. "OF COURSE I KNOW WHAT IT IS!"

"Okay, then you know that you are, in fact, pitching a fit right now. I gave you this name after I first met you at the festival last summer and I still like it." You kissed him again and pocketed your phone.

He sighed and pinched his nasal ridge. You almost lost it at that point; you'd only ever seen Sans get him to do that. You were oddly proud of yourself. "WHY DO I PUT UP WITH THIS SHIT?"

He was obviously talking to himself, but you supplied an answer anyway. "Because you know you can't stop me, but you like that about me." You lightly punched his arm and grinned at him.

His mouth twitched, but he was fighting it. He scowled harder, to the point that it was very obviously exaggerated, but he nodded. "SOMETHING LIKE THAT."

"Should we finish the puzzle, or do you want to get home to Sans?"

"HE WON'T STARVE. LET'S FINISH THE PUZZLE." He relaxed a little then, leaning over to get back to putting pieces together.

A few minutes later, he let out an odd sound, something you might call a snort. You looked up at him.

"What was that?" you asked.

His mouth twitch again, only this time it was a little closer to a smile. "ABSOLUTELY NOTHING."

You grinned. Oh, it was something. He was finally seeing the humor in the situation. You didn't say anything, knowing you'd bring back his inner moody teenager, and instead focused a little more on what was in front of you.

Neither of you tried to bring back the conversation from earlier. You'd gotten the answers you wanted, and it was peaceful just solving a puzzle with him in silence. It took the two of you another half hour to finish putting it together.

As he was getting ready to leave, Papyrus smirked to himself and kissed you. "I THINK I'LL DO SOME RESEARCH THIS NEXT WEEK."

He didn't elaborate any further. You waited a few seconds until he walked to the door. You followed him.

"Okay? What kind of research?"

He turned to you and pulled you up close. "THE KIND THAT WILL TELL ME WHAT DRIVES HUMAN WOMEN TO ORGASM."

You were speechless for a few seconds before you could recollect yourself. "Oh, um…I mean, you could just ask me."

He chuckled. "YES, I SUPPOSE I COULD DO THAT." He leaned in and kissed you, teasing you for a moment with his tongue. "OR I COULD SURPRISE YOU WITH MY EXCELLENT SLEUTHING TECHNIQUES AND MAKE YOU CUM ON JUST MY FINGERS THE NEXT TIME I SEE YOU."

Yeah, you were so not going to argue with him. You were, however, going to let him know just how mean he was being. You slapped his chest.

"Papyrus, that's not fair. You're leaving and my vibrator broke last week." This was going to be a long night.

"YOUR WHAT?"

That time you smirked. "Use your excellent sleuthing techniques to figure it out."

He looked you over for a moment before he nodded. "I WILL." He kissed you one more time. "I'LL SEE YOU FRIDAY NIGHT."

You bit your lip and hugged him tightly. "I really look forward to it."

He finally left, and you texted Sans to let him know his brother was on his way home.

* * *

The next week passed by in something of a blur. You finally broke down on Tuesday and went shopping with Josh and Michael to get a new vibrator. Although you knew something about sex toys, there was something magical about shopping for them with two gay men. They somehow knew more about what felt good than you did, and you were the one with the clitoris.

You tried out your new purchase that night after talking to Papyrus and asking how his research was going. He refused to give you any specifics, only that he was looking forward to testing a few theories he was forming. As it turned out, you were highly satisfied with your new toy.

By the time Friday rolled around, you were so ready to just skip work and go right to your date with Papyrus. Being a responsible adult sucked hardcore.

You had to smirk at yourself. With any luck, you'd also be doing some hardcore sucking later.

Work was bordering on horrific simply because you couldn't focus. You had to force yourself to remember that you'd gone a little over two full years without having any sexual stimulation other than your own hands and toys; you could go a few more hours. You also doubted that Papyrus was going to plunge his fingers into your cunt when he got there; you actually had plans before the sexy stuff could happen.

After work, you sped home and took a quick shower—a little on the cold side to help you get through the evening—then got dressed.

You took a few minutes to carefully choose your underwear. You weren't certain if the night was going to end in you two actually having sex or if you were just going to explore each other's bodies with touches for now. To be on the safe side, you chose a matching bra and panty set in dark red with lace accents. The panties were of the thong variety, and although they were a tad uncomfortable they made you feel incredibly sexy.

You had decided early in the week that you were going to wear a short, flowing skirt. It was the same color crimson as your underwear, and it was perfect. Not only was it cute but it moved freely enough to give Papyrus all the opportunities to feel up your body. The shirt you chose was black and tight, showing off your curves with just enough cleavage to hopefully get your date in the mood that much faster.

Papyrus showed up at exactly six o'clock and looked you over hungrily as he stepped inside.

"YOU ARE TRULY BEAUTIFUL." He took your hand and kissed the back of it.

You gave him a little curtsey. "Thank you. You…damn, Papyrus, you are hot."

He'd worn his black slacks again and paired them with a black button-up and a silky red tie. You touched the tie softly as you looked up at him and licked your lips. "Can we skip the concert?"

His hands went to your hips. "DO YOU REALLY WANT TO? I WON'T BE ABLE TO GET TICKETS LIKE THESE AGAIN, BUT WE CAN STAY HERE IF YOU WANT TO."

Oh, you were torn. You rested your head on his chest and decided that you really did want to go to this concert. Not only was it bound to be a great time, but even with the connections he had, the tickets couldn't have been cheap. You finally looked up and shook your head.

"No, I want to go. I'm just…y'know…looking forward to later." Your face burst into flame as you spoke, and his chuckle didn't help things.

He leaned down and kissed you. "I AM, TOO." He stepped back. "ARE YOU READY?"

You reached over to grab your purse before you nodded. He took your hand, and you both left.

You'd heard of Shyren only because she had been mentioned once in an article you'd read about Mettaton. She seemed to have dabbled in a few different kinds of music, never truly finding her niche but too passionate to let that stop her from continuing to make music. Thankfully—for the sake of your feet—the concert you were going to tonight was some of her mellower music and had seats. Once again, the tickets Papyrus had gotten were in the best location. You didn't even need binoculars to see the monster perform.

Her appearance did surprise you, however. You realized that you'd never actually seen a picture of her. She seemed to have the body of a shark and the head of a deep sea angler. She was gray from head to tailfin, but also striped like a tiger shark. The light attached to her head flickered in time with the music, and her voice had you mesmerized.

You leaned into Papyrus' side as she sang, half distracted by the tips of phalanges grazing lightly across the skin of your arm. The sensation, combined with the ethereal music, caused goosebumps to raise along your skin more than once.

After the show, Papyrus asked if you wanted to go backstage to meet her. Something in the way he asked made you think he hoped you said no.

"Would she be okay with that?" You really did want to meet her, if for no other reason than to be able to say that you had.

He hesitated a moment before he shook his head. "NO. DESPITE HER PASSION FOR MAKING AND SHARING MUSIC, SHE IS NOT A SOCIABLE PERSON. SHE WOULD BE UNCOMFORTABLE MEETING A NEW PERSON LIKE THIS."

You nodded. "Then let's not bother her. Can you get her a message from me, though, and tell her that I thought her show was amazing?"

He smirked and kissed you. "I WILL. SHE'LL APPRECIATE THAT."

You licked your lips and looked up at him. It seemed in an instant, your whole concentration was right back to where it had been earlier that day. You pressed your body closer to him.

"So…are we doing anything else tonight?"

He snickered. "YOU KNOW DAMN WELL WHAT WE'RE DOING TONIGHT. OR, RATHER, WHAT I'M DOING TO YOU TONIGHT." He took your hand and started to lead you toward the exit. "ARE YOU READY TO GO HOME?"

You nodded, unable to say much of anything. You couldn't fucking wait to get home.

Your whole body was on fire when Papyrus pulled into the apartment complex. All you could think about the whole ride home was what he'd said and the promise those words meant for you. As soon as the car turned off, you were unbuckled and stepping out onto the pavement.

Papyrus was at your side in an instant. He took your arm, his hold gentle and yet rough at the same time and managed to keep you from tripping over cracks in the pavement. Your concentration was not in where your feet were landing. Your shaking fingers fumbled with your keys until you finally managed to get the right one and unlocked the door. Papyrus' hands on your shoulders didn't help you one bit; instead of providing the calm support he probably meant, the contact left your skin blazing with need.

Finally— _finally_ —you stepped inside and nearly slammed the door shut behind him. You dropped your purse somewhere and reached up to him as he pressed himself against you.

Before Papyrus, you would have said that you weren't into getting pinned anywhere. Guys seemed to use it as a way to convince themselves they could do whatever they wanted regardless of your feelings on the matter. With Papyrus, however…you craved his body pushing you against the door and the dominance he provided. When he lifted you off the floor, you never once feared he might drop you. You felt safe and secure in his hold and allowed yourself to succumb to him completely.

"CAN I TOUCH YOU?" he asked, his voice breathless.

You nodded and whimpered, hoping to convey your absolute need for his touch. You wanted his hands everywhere on your body. You were not disappointed.

Papyrus pulled back just enough to allow his right hand to slip between you and him, under your skirt and over your panties. Your body jerked and you held him tighter as a wail of ecstasy tore itself from your throat. He explored your pussy with unsure fingers, gaining confidence as you writhed against him and continued to pant out a request for more. You felt him gasp as he pushed your panties aside.

"YOU'RE ALREADY SO WET!"

You managed to kiss him. "I've been wet for you all fucking day, baby. Please…I need…"

He growled and kissed you hard as he slipped a finger inside you. You allowed him to explore your inner walls for a moment before you began rocking your hips. He got the hint. Adding another finger, he gave you what you needed as his thumb began circling your clit and his fingers inside you found your g-spot with ease.

Your hands gripped the back of his shirt so hard you were certain there'd be a permanent wrinkle there. You rested your head against the door and met his eyes. His were predatory, watching you come undone to his touch alone. He added a third finger, and you were done for. Your back arched, pressing your tits into his chest.

"Please…god, Papyrus, I'm gonna cum!"

The angle of his fingers changed just slightly, pressing further inside you. Your whole body seized up, your eyes closing and your breath held as a wave of pleasure tore your body apart. Your moans were sobbed out as you clutched at Papyrus. He slowed his pace, allowing you to ride out your orgasm but not pushing the sensations too far.

Slowly, you came back to yourself and leaned forward, resting your head against his shoulder. You kissed his exposed cervical vertebrae and hugged him tightly.

"You sure as fuck know how to do your research, Papyrus."

You felt him chuckle. "YES, I DO. DO YOU THINK YOU CAN STAND?"

You just shook your head. You didn't want to try. Instead of putting you down, he rearranged his hold on you and carried you to the couch. As soon as he sat down, you realized how selfish you were being when the hard bulge in his pants pressed against your very sensitive snatch.

You gasped and pushed yourself up a little. A grin spread across your lips, and you kissed him. "I think it's your turn. I want to suck you off, Papyrus." Your hand reached between your bodies and felt out the hardness of his cock against his pants.

He sucked in quick breath and nodded. "ANY FUCKING THING YOU WANT IS YOURS."

Your hands were already wandering. You pulled his tie loose enough to strip it over his head and tossed it somewhere, then began unbuttoning his shirt. You were so eager to touch his bones and make him moan. "Please tell me if I touch anywhere that doesn't feel good."

"DON'T GRAB MY LOWER RIBS TOO HARD; THAT WILL HURT. MY SPINE—" he gasped as you gingerly dragged your fingertips along his lowest ribs toward his spine. "—MY SPINE IS VERY—OH, YES. I LIKE THAT."

As your hands explored his spine and ribs, you leaned in to kiss and lick along his sternum, slowly working your way down. You carefully massaged each spinal vertebrae until you reached his hips, proud of yourself for the sounds you were eliciting from him. After a moment, you got up, grabbed a couch cushion to toss on the floor in front of him, and sank to your knees between his legs.

His right hand was in your hair in an instant while the left was working to undo his belt. You helped him out, leaning in to kiss and nip at his hip bones before finally sliding his zipper down and pulling out your prize.

You truly felt like you'd won all the prizes in that moment. To say you'd been insanely curious about his dick was an understatement. You'd been able to deduce a few things just from what you'd felt and the little things you'd seen, such as you knew it was big and you knew it would be the same glowing red of his tongue. To see that it was, in fact, pierced, felt like you'd won the lottery. Like his tongue, the two studs that pierced the tip were silver and sat in a pretty contrast to the rest of the color. Not only that, but it was spiked along the underside. You ran a tentative finger over the spikes and confirmed that they were soft, almost jelly-like. His answering moan made your whole body shiver.

"IF THEY BOTHER YOU, I CAN MAKE THEM GO AWAY." His voice was tight, but not quite as tight as his fingers in your hair.

"I don't want you to change a single thing, baby. I've never met a guy with a spiked cock before; it's interesting."

Before he could respond, you leaned back in and gave him an experimental lick from the base to the tip. His body shivered in the best way as he sucked in a breath between his teeth. You took him in your mouth then, gently studying his tip with your tongue, before taking him in as far as you could. You were concerned when your teeth scraped the spikes, afraid that you'd hurt him, but the noises he made were anything but pained.

You let yourself get into it then, allowing him to guide your movements with his hand gripped in your hair, and peeking up at him every now and then. His eye lights were trained on your mouth and his jaw hung open as he gave you the most glorious sounds of desire.

You wrapped your right hand around the base of his cock, squeezing gently, and lifted your left hand to massage his lower spine and pelvis. You knew he was getting close when his hips jerked and his bones seemed to tighten all around you. Smirking to yourself, you increased suction and began pumping your right hand along his length. You ran your tongue over the studs and the slit at the tip of his cock.

"FU-UCK!" His hips lifted, bones shaking and creating the cutest rattling sound. His dick twitched twice before he erupted into your mouth. Thick strands of cum hit the back of your throat, and you swallowed to prevent yourself from gagging too hard. At least it didn't taste like human cum. Instead of the nasty bitterness you were used to, Papyrus' cum tasted like the rest of his magic, only intensified.

His hand in your hair pulled lightly, and you broke away from him with a pop. After a final lick to make sure you didn't miss anything he had to offer, you slowly climbed your way onto his lap. He helped you situate yourself so you didn't tease his overly sensitive cock, then you rested against him and kissed his sternum.

"How was that?" You asked, a smile playing at your lips.

He kissed your head, still panting. "FUCKING FANTASTIC, BUT DON'T MAKE ME SPEAK RIGHT NOW."

You giggled and snuggled into him a little more. Eventually, his dick dissipated and you were able to cuddle closer to him.

"So I have a really strange question."

You felt him smile against your head. "I'LL TRY TO SUPPLY A STRANGE ANSWER, THEN."

"How are your tongue and dick pierced? I mean, they're made of magic but what are the studs made out of?"

"ALSO MAGIC."

"But they look like metal." You pulled back to look up at him. "They aren't metal?"

He shook his head and opened his mouth to let his tongue hang out. You took a few minutes to examine the studs there, but you couldn't tell any difference between them any the piercings you'd seen on human tongues. He pulled it back in and closed his jaw.

"THEY'RE MAGIC."

"Huh. Cool." You kissed his teeth and snuggled into him again. "What are we doing for our next date?"

He snorted. "I PLANNED THIS ONE, YOU GET TO FIGURE OUT THE NEXT ONE." His hands began rubbing your back.

You so wanted to ask him to stay the night. Hesitantly, you sat back up.

"What are you doing tomorrow?"

He scowled. "SANS HAS AGREED TO HELP GRILLBY SET UP HIS NEW BAR, SO I'LL BE DOING THAT."

You raised an eyebrow. "Sans volunteered you? And have I met Grillby?" The name didn't sound familiar.

"NO, YOU HAVEN'T, AND I'D PREFER TO KEEP IT THAT WAY. HE'S…NOT EXACTLY A NICE MONSTER. SANS VOLUNTEERED HIMSELF BUT GIVEN THEIR HISTORY I'M NOT COMFORTABLE LETTING HIM GO BY HIMSELF."

You waited for him to elaborate, but when he didn't you asked.

"I take it then they have a bad history?" It probably should have been obvious, especially considering what you knew about the underground.

"NOT EXACTLY. I'M WORRIED THAT SANS WILL TAKE UP OLD HABITS. GRILLBY HAS EASY ACCESS TO THOSE HABITS."

It didn't take much to figure out that those habits were alcohol related if Grillby was setting up a bar.

"HE HAS BEEN FAR TOO LENIENT ABOUT ALLOWING SANS TO SET UP A TAB. MY HOPE IS THAT WITH ME BEING THERE—AND WITH OUR LAST INTERACTION BEFORE THE BARRIER BROKE—GRILLBY WON'T BE SO KEEN TO ALLOW SANS TO HAVE A TAB THIS TIME."

You nodded again and leaned in to hug him tightly. "You're such a good brother, Papyrus. You know I would go and help if you wanted me to, right?" You looked up at him without pulling back.

He kissed your forehead. "I KNOW. I ALSO KNOW THAT I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO STOP MYSELF FROM GETTING TERRITORIAL WITH YOU AROUND HIM. THAT ANNOYS YOU, SO LET'S NOT DO THAT."

You snickered. "Okay. I guess I'll stay here and be lonely all day."

"YOU HAVE OTHER FRIENDS."

Gee, how romantic. Instead of commenting, you kissed his shoulder and rested against him. You decided it wouldn't be a good night to ask him to stay, and instead savored the silence and enhanced thrum of his soul under his ribs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so one more thing I wanted to say. I see the reader as being around mid- to late-twenties in age. However, I don't want to be too specific about that in-story because I want her to be relatable to a wider variety of readers. That being said, Reader has to be old enough to have explored her sexuality in a legal and healthy manner. Okay? Okay. Thanks!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you realize the world is not perfect but sometimes being with the people you love the most can come pretty close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So…um…well, I don't think there's much I can say for myself here. I can still write a super fluff-filled relationship with angsty stuff happening around them, right? I would blame it on character development, but I'm pretty sure someone would call me out on that.
> 
> More sex! Because…um…sex!
> 
> On another note, you ever have a thing planned out and stuff is going great, and then one of your characters throws you a curveball that you have no idea what to do about? Yeah. So, Sans just threw me that curveball. Grillby is that curveball. Because of the nature of this story (being a reader insert and so basically from the reader's perspective) I'm not sure how I'm going to explore this new thing. I know what's going to happen and how it's going to happen from Sans' POV, but it's getting inside Sans' head from the reader's perspective that is making my writer guts cringe.
> 
> I really hope that all made sense.
> 
> Consequently, I may need a little extra time before the next update to figure shit out. Worst case scenario is you all get a side project that you may or may not even want to read featuring Sansby while only getting some hints of that within this story. Sans has some shit to work through, and Grillby is essential to his being able to work through it.
> 
> No matter how all that works out, it won't be more than a few days before chapter 12 is ready to go.
> 
> Enjoy?!

You woke up early on Wednesday morning to the sound of police sirens and ambulances outside your building. With a curious frown, you peeked out the window to see several people standing around in the yard, some in uniform and others still in their pajamas. You slipped on a jacket and your sandals despite the cold spring morning and went out to see what was going on.

You stepped up to a middle-aged guy, one of your neighbors from a building over, and watched in horror as a stretcher was wheeled out of the apartment next to yours—covered in a white sheet.

"What the fuck?"

The guy—you thought his name was Nicholas—startled at your words. "Oh, hey. Some dude was murdered last night."

You knew that guy. You had talked to him just the other night. His name was Bobby, and he was barely out of his teenage years. He was in college to become a computer engineer and had so much life ahead of him.

"How—I mean…" You had no words. "What happened?"

"They're saying it was a monster," Linda, your neighbor on the other side, said as she stepped up to you. "Some kind of dog."

You shook your head. "No, I know the dogs; they'd never do something like this." Okay, so you didn't actually know the dogs, but you knew they worked with Papyrus.

Nicholas took a step away from you. "You're one'a them monster fuckers, aren't ya?"

You rolled your eyes. "Not yet. Listen, I'm not trying to say that monsters can't kill people, okay? I'm just saying that all the dogs I've met so far have been very sweet. Poor Bobby."

"heya, sugar."

You shrieked in horror and jumped, turning around to see Sans standing behind you.

"Sans! You motherfucker! Warn a girl next time, okay? I just about peed my fucking pants, Jesus Christ." Your instincts told you to reach out and smack him, but you stopped yourself. Instead, you pulled him into a hug. "Did you hear about what happened?"

He nodded and hugged you back. "that's why i'm here, actually." He pulled back and looked around the scene. "boss is talkin' to the cops, but he'll be around to see you in a minute. he nearly had a fucking meltdown when we heard where it happened; he thought maybe it was you."

Your heart broke for both of your skeletons. Sans' tone clearly told you he had been afraid of the same thing. You hugged him again.

"I'm okay. A little shaken, but okay."

He nodded again. "good."

You noticed both your neighbors take an exaggerated step away when Papyrus came stalking up to you. He didn't say anything. Before you could even smile at him, he pulled you off the ground into a hug so hard you were almost surprised your bones didn't crack.

"ARE YOU OKAY?" He asked, nuzzling your neck.

"Too tight!" was all you managed to say.

He loosened his grip immediately, but he didn't put you down. You kissed his cheekbone and hugged him back. "I'm okay, baby."

He finally managed to put you down but kept an arm around you. "IT WASN'T THE DOGS. NOT THE ONES I WORK WITH, ANYWAY. THERE IS EVIDENCE OF A FEW MONSTERS HAVING BEEN THERE LAST NIGHT. UNDYNE AND I WILL NEED TO QUESTION THE TEMMIES."

You'd met Undyne a few times and each time was just as terrifyingly memorable as the last. She was a blue fish monster with fiery red hair and gills. She reminded you of the kinds of creatures you might find making their homes inside underwater volcanos. Having met her gave you a little more understanding of how and why Papyrus was the kind of captain he was.

The Temmies, however, you'd never heard of. "Who are the Temmies?"

Sans chuckled. "temmie and her whole brood are the evilest little shits the underground produced. i think they actually liked it down there."

"REGARDLESS, AS IT IS WITH HUMAN LAW, THEY ARE INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY."

You really hoped it didn't turn out to be a monster who had killed anyone. Not only would it look bad on all monsters, but you didn't want Papyrus to have to deal with that. You snuggled closer to his side.

Papyrus and Sans stayed with you as long as they could while the area was cleaned up. You called into work, a little too shaken to consider actually going anywhere, and was happy when your boss didn't pitch a fit about it.

After the skeletons left, you spent your day trying to stay relaxed. You wished there was something you could do to help with the investigation. In the end, the most you could do was offer your support to all of your monster friends.

Although you had wanted to spend some time with Papyrus that weekend, he was busy with legal matters. You made sure he at least knew you were thinking about him and instead went to spend time with your other friends.

Being alone in your apartment was getting harder to deal with as the days passed. There had been a few times at night that you were woken by the fear that someone was breaking in. You'd lost count of how many times you'd swept the place and discovered nothing amiss. You'd feel a little better until you wondered for the millionth time if Sans was the only monster who could teleport.

As it turned out, he was. You'd asked him about it, telling him about your restless nights, and he'd assured you that no other monster had that ability. He also made you promise that you would call him if you ever felt threatened, no matter the time. Because he could teleport, he and Papyrus would be with you in an instant.

There was finally a break in the case a week later. Evidence discovered through the autopsy and at the crime scene proved that the murderer had been human. Although the DNA found wasn't a match to anyone in any database, it was clearly an adult human male. The three Temmies who had been held on suspicion were released, and you went with Papyrus and Sans to a small party held out of relief that the monsters had been cleared.

You had hoped that knowing without a doubt monsters hadn't been responsible for your neighbor's death would help ease your nightly tensions, but it seemed to only make them worse.

It came to a head one night when, as you laid awake in your bed, you heard your front door handle rattle. It hadn't been in your mind. You knew what you had heard. You got up and silently stalked to the door, peeking out of the peephole. Nobody was there, but you were almost certain you did see a shadow move. You tried to tell yourself that it was just a drunk neighbor who forgot where they lived, but when you heard something scrape at your window, your heart went into overdrive.

You dashed to your room and grabbed your phone, already dialing Sans' number without even thinking and sliding down the wall by your bed to sit on the floor.

"heya." He sounded half asleep.

"Sans?" You weren't sure why you were whispering, but you couldn't force yourself to speak at a normal volume if you tried.

"sugar? what's up?"

"I don't know…I think someone is outside. I'm scared, Sans."

Your phone beeped as the call ended. You swallowed hard and was about to call him back when you heard a strange pop come from your living room.

"sugar?"

"Y/N? WHERE ARE YOU?"

Oh, thank god. You rushed into the room and all but threw yourself at Papyrus. Sans was gone in an instant, probably checking around your place. You really wanted to hold him tight as well, make sure nothing ever happened to him. He appeared again only a moment later.

"there's a guy out smokin' by the dumpster, but i didn't see anyone else. dumpster dude says he didn't see nothin'."

Papyrus nodded and let you go to check the door and all the windows. He discovered one window was unlocked, and your blood ran cold as he told you it had been jimmied open from the outside.

"YOU'RE NOT STAYING HERE TONIGHT," he said matter-of-factly.

A part of you couldn't agree more, but another part was adamant that you would not be driven out of your own fucking home.

"But I have to work tomorrow. I can't take off any more time, and even if Sans can bring me home in the morning I'll still…I don't know…" You wrapped your arms around yourself. You desperately didn't want to be alone.

"boss, why don't you stay here with her?"

Papyrus sighed in the way that told you he was beyond annoyed. Here he was doing you a massive favor and you had to go and annoy him. Go you.

"I'm sorry."

"he ain't upset at you, sugar."

Papyrus turned to you then, a perplexed expression on his face. "WHY ON EARTH WOULD I BE UPSET WITH YOU, Y/N?"

You shrugged. "Because I'm…I don't know. You have things to do, too; more important than anything I have going on." You couldn't meet his eyes.

"'sides, teleportin' more than one extra person is risky."

For some reason, Sans seemed to be all for Papyrus staying with you. Your gut churned at the idea that you might be pressuring him to do so.

"I'll be okay. You don't need to stay." You held your stomach tighter. Now that you had confirmation that someone was actually trying to break into your apartment, you felt like you might choke if you were left here alone. You weren't sure which was worse, that paralyzing fear or the guilt that came from the idea of Papyrus staying just to make you feel safe when he had other places he'd rather be.

Papyrus stepped up to you and placed a hand on your cheek, making you look up at him. "DO YOU NOT WANT ME TO STAY?"

The sudden change in his demeanor nearly left you with whiplash. The look on his face now told you that he wanted nothing more than to stay with you. You weren't sure what to think.

"Of course I want you to stay, Papyrus, but I'm not a helpless little girl." As tough as you wanted to be, another part of you really wanted to just let your boyfriend protect you.

"I NEVER SAID YOU WERE. HOWEVER, THE FACT IS THAT ONE HUMAN HAS ALREADY BEEN MURDERED AND I SURE AS FUCK AM NOT GOING TO LET YOU BE NEXT. I'LL STAY HERE WITH YOU. SANS IS RIGHT; TELEPORTING WITH MORE THAN ONE ADDITIONAL PERSON IS DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY WHEN HE'S TIRED." He glanced over at his brother and made a face.

Sans grinned. "cool. have a good night, bro. don't do nothin' i wouldn't do." He winked.

Papyrus scowled. "FOR FUCK'S SAKE, SANS; WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS?"

Sans just shrugged before he stepped up to you and pulled you into a hug. "we both know you'll be fuckin' her before the night is over."

Okay. Now everything made sense. Papyrus never was upset or even annoyed with you; he was irritated by Sans and his godforsaken attempts at being funny.

"I thought I told you to lay off the sex stuff, Sans." You pulled back and gave him a glare.

He frowned. "both'a ya are no fuckin' fun. i'm goin' home. see ya tomorrow, boss."

"GOOD RIDDANCE."

Sans chuckled before disappearing.

Both you and Papyrus stood in the living room, you staring at the carpet, for a few long moments, before Papyrus sucked in a breath and walked up to you.

"I ASSUME YOU'RE PROBABLY TIRED."

You leaned into him, so grateful to have him with you, and nodded. "Yeah. Do you want…I mean, are you? Tired?" You looked up at him.

He touched your cheek and leaned in to kiss your lips softly. "NO. I DON'T REQUIRE A LOT OF SLEEP AND I'VE ALREADY HAD MY NAP. GO TO BED; I'LL FIGURE OUT SOMETHING TO ENTERTAIN MYSELF WITH."

You nodded and kissed him again before retreating to your bedroom. It was strange, laying down knowing that Papyrus was doing something in your living room. As tired as you were, you simply couldn't get back to sleep.

After tossing and turning for over an hour, you gave up. You got out of bed and went to find Papyrus lounging on the couch with a book. He looked up at you as you approached.

"IS EVERYTHING OKAY?"

You nodded as you contemplated how you were going to sit next to him. You had to take a second to appreciate his long body. He had propped himself up on one arm of the couch at his middle back and the rest of his lower body took up all three cushions. Fuck, he was hot.

"Yeah, I just couldn't get back to sleep."

Before you could make a decision on how you were going to sit down, Papyrus closed the book and set it on the coffee table. He sat up just enough to reach out to you, then he pulled you down on his lap. You squirmed enough to get comfortable and laid down with your head on his chest and your legs between his. Laying on a skeleton like this really was not comfortable, no matter how hard you wanted it to be. His ribs and hips poked into you despite your attempts at positioning yourself in different ways.

"YOU'RE NOT COMFORTABLE."

It wasn't a question, but you found yourself shaking your head anyway. "No, not really. I'm sorry."

He kissed your head before pushing you up to sit on his femurs. "I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU APOLOGIZE FOR THINGS THAT AREN'T YOUR FAULT. I DON'T THINK I EVER WILL UNDERSTAND, BUT I'VE HEARD THAT I SHOULD JUST SAY 'IT'S OKAY'."

You had to laugh at that. "I've tried really hard to stop doing that, but sometimes it just happens without me thinking about it. I want to lay with you, but I don't think I can lay on you."

Without a word, he sat up and shifted so one of his arms was around your back and the other under your legs, then he stood up. You yelped in surprise but settled down quickly when you realized he was carrying you to your bedroom. He set you down on your bed and kissed you before walking around to the other side of the bed. After taking a moment to kick off his shoes, he laid down next to you.

You grinned as you sidled up to him, propping yourself up on an elbow to better see his face. "You're too good to me."

He snorted. "I AM THE PERFECT AMOUNT OF GOOD TO YOU."

You kissed his teeth. "Yes, you are."

His arms wrapped around you, and you shifted to snuggle into his side. Laying next to him like this felt amazing. You could push your full body against him and twine your legs with his. His fingers gently scratched up and down your arm. It nearly tickled, but at the same time felt too good to say anything about it.

"Thank you for coming. I feel so much safer with you here." You squeezed your arm around his chest and kissed his ribs.

"I REALLY DO WISH YOU WOULD LEAVE THIS PLACE. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT APARTMENTS NEAR SANS AND ME." He looked down at you. "EVEN IF YOU WANTED TO STAY OUT THIS WAY, THIS COMPLEX IS GETTING WORSE."

You nodded and pushed yourself closer to him, closing whatever imaginary gap there may have been between your bodies. "I've actually been looking, too. The only thing keeping me out here is my job, which I don't like. I've considered looking for jobs out that way."

"WILL YOU LET ME HELP? YOU CAN USE ME AS A REFERENCE, WHICH MAY INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING HIRED IN A MONSTER-DOMINATED AREA."

You sat up on your elbow again. "That would be awesome. Do you know anyone who's hiring? What about that Grillby guy with the bar? If he's just opening—"

"I WOULD PREFER YOU DIDN'T WORK FOR GRILLBY. SANS IS ADAMANT THAT HE'S CHANGED, BUT EVEN IF HE DID TURN OUT TO BE A RELATIVELY DECENT MONSTER, YOU'D BE AROUND DRUNKEN MONSTERS ALL NIGHT. THAT WOULD MAKE ME VERY UNCOMFORTABLE."

You really couldn't argue with that. As sure as you were that you could handle yourself, you didn't want to be put in a situation where you might have to get aggressive with potentially low-HP monsters. "All right, I'll concede that might not be a great idea."

He pulled you down for a kiss. "THANK YOU. I'LL ASK AROUND AND FIND OUT WHO'S HIRING AND LET YOU KNOW IF I COME ACROSS ANYTHING INTERESTING. WILL YOU ALSO GET ME A COPY OF YOUR RESUME?"

What a strange conversation to have with your boyfriend in the middle of the night as you cuddled together in bed. The fact that it was the first time the two of you had been in a bed together made it all the more odd. "Sure."

"WHEN IS YOUR LEASE UP HERE?"

"At the end of May, so I have to wait a few months."

"HOW MUCH WOULD YOU NEED TO PAY IF YOU WERE TO BREAK THE LEASE EARLY?"

Yeah, no. Whatever he was thinking, it was just no.

"I don't know, but you aren't allowed to pay anything off for me."

He huffed and gave you a side glance. "FINE. HOWEVER, SHOULD THERE BE ANOTHER SECURITY INCIDENT HERE, I WILL BE SPEAKING WITH MANAGEMENT ABOUT THE TERMS OF YOUR LEASE."

"Ugh, okay. I guess that's acceptable." Good lord, you were starting to sound like him. The thought made you giggle.

"WHAT?"

You laughed harder and rolled onto your back. He rolled with you, now hovering over you with his arms on either side of your head.

"I'm just really glad you're here." You reached up to frame his face and pulled him down for a kiss.

He kissed you deeply, one hand slipping beneath your head while the other began to gently explore your side and hip. Your hands wound around his shoulders and pulled him closer, willing him to press his body against yours. His fingers against your body dragged harshly up your side but this time didn't stop until it rested against your breast.

He pulled back and watched your face as he squeezed gently. "IS THIS OKAY?"

You smiled and nodded, putting one hand over his on your chest. "Very much okay."

He kissed you again, this time allowing his hand to explore both your breasts as his hand in your hair gripped tightly. Whatever research he'd done hadn't been just on how to finger a girl to orgasm, because he knew all the right places to touch. He pinched your nipples, gently rolling them between his fingers, before finally slipping his hand under your shirt. His bones directly on your skin felt so good, and you found yourself pulling up his shirt without realizing what you were doing.

Papyrus pulled back, sitting up to strip his shirt off and toss it off the bed, before settling back down beside you and slipping his hand right back under your shirt. This time, he kept eye contact as he rolled a nipple between his phalanges.

"I WANT TO FUCK YOU," he said, dragging his fingertips down your torso to the waistband of your pajama pants.

You couldn't hold back a whimper as your hands clenched on his bones. "I want that, too, baby."

He kissed you again, desperate in his hunger, as he pulled you close to him and nudged his way between your legs. Your hips bucked forward on their own, and you were thoroughly rewarded with the feel of his erection straining in his pants. Your bodies moved together, humping each other as you devoured each other's mouths.

Without warning, Papyrus all but shoved you onto your back and pulled away to stand up. You were about to say something before you realized what he was doing. He stripped off his pants before pulling you up to remove your clothing as well. He wasn't slow or gentle, but the need in his actions fueled your own desire.

"WHERE DID YOU PUT THE CONDOMS?" He sounded almost desperate as he laid you back down and hovered over you.

"In the second drawer over there." You gestured to the small end table by the side of your bed. The two of you had gone condom shopping to prepare for what you hoped was the inevitability of finding yourselves in the exact situation you were in.

He got into the drawer and found what he was after. You watched with eager satisfaction as he put the condom on, then moved to hover over you again. Then, he frowned.

"DO YOU WANT MORE FOREPLAY? I'M NOT BEING A VERY GOOD PARTNER, AM I?"

He nearly drew back, but you caught him and pulled him close. "You are being an amazing partner, baby. I don't need anything but you." You kissed him and spread your legs, hoping to encourage him.

He nodded and let himself relax a little as he got into position. You met his eyes as you felt the tip of his dick at your entrance. His sockets closed as he pressed in, moving slowly to allow your body to adjust to his size. Thankfully, he seemed to understand that your body would need a little extra time since he was so fucking big, and he stopped when your body tensed up. You held him tightly, moaning softly at each new sensation, until he was seated deep inside you.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice nearly a whisper.

You nodded, clutching at his bones and so eager for movement. "Please, baby…"

He kissed you deeply as he began rocking against you. Every single movement drove him even deeper until his tip brushed against your cervix, causing a hard moan to rip from your throat. You threw your head back against the pillows and arched your back, silently begging him for more. It didn't matter how many times you'd done this in the past, everything about him was a new experience. Each soft spike on the underside of his cock stimulated your cunt in ways you never knew existed, the studs on the tip were a hard contrast to the subtle give of his magic, and his utter reach inside you was something you'd only ever experienced with toys.

"Fuck…Papyrus, baby, it feels so fucking good!" Your hips moved to meet every one of his thrusts, already spiraling toward an epic orgasm.

He held your hair tightly as he kissed you, moaning softly into your mouth as each movement increased in speed until he was fucking you hard enough to slam the headboard against the wall with each thrust. You cried out, an incoherent demand for more, as your toes curled and every muscle in your body tensed.

You came hard, your pussy clamping so tightly around his dick it was nearly painful. He growled deep in his chest, slowing his movements to allow you to ride out the most intense orgasm of your life. Your whole body throbbed with aftershocks as he began to pick up the pace once again, working toward his own end. He didn't last much longer. You felt him throbbing inside you as he came, and just the sensation of twitching nearly made you cum again.

He pulled out slowly and gently massaged your overworked cunt before he moved to throw the condom away. He laid next to you, panting hard and utterly exhausted, and you barely managed to summon the strength required to cuddle against him.

"If you ever call yourself a bad partner again, I'm going to hurt you."

He smirked. "TO BE FAIR, I NEVER ACTUALLY CALLED MYSELF A BAD PARTNER. I WAS SIMPLY WORRIED I WASN'T BEING A VERY GOOD ONE." He kissed your forehead. "I THINK I'VE PROVEN MYSELF WRONG."

"You sure as fuck did. Holy shit, Papyrus, that was incredible. I'm gonna die now, okay?"

"NO. YOU CAN'T JOKE ABOUT DYING." He looked down at you and kissed your nose. "YOU ARE WELCOME TO PASS OUT, HOWEVER."

You snorted. "Duly noted. Goodnight, baby."

His arms, still shaking lightly, tightened around you in a brief hug. "GOODNIGHT."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I HEREBY SOLEMLY SWEAR THAT NOBODY—NOT THE READER OR PAPYRUS OR SANS OR ANY OF READER'S FRIENDS OR ANYONE ELSE—IS GOING TO DIE!!! That being said, the angsty stuff isn't quite over yet. *runs away to hide for a while*


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you get a snazzy new security upgrade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I think I have a plan now on how to deal with Sans' new arc. We're only going to see a little bit of that arc in this story and I've started work on a separate story from his POV on how shit gets dealt with.
> 
> Also, I know I said that there was only going to be a little bit of angst and that it was going to get resolved quickly and all that jazz, but apparently my outline took a nice big shit on itself and things have changed just *slightly*. I really had planned on all of the angst in this story, from introduction to conclusion, to span two chapters. I'm crying and laughing at the same time because holy fuck. Also, we may or may not be going past 15 chapters now; I really don't have any idea on that. I can still promise that none of our main peeps are gonna get hurt, tho.
> 
> And come visit me on Tumblr! Sheewolf85 . tumblr .com I reblog fun Undertale stuff (among other things) and sometimes I post shit.
> 
> Enjoy!

You woke up the next morning to Papyrus' fingers gently stroking your bare back from your shoulders to your hips and back. You were on your stomach with the sheets bunched at your hips. He laid on his side next to you, propped up on his elbow and resting his head in his palm. You smiled before you even opened your eyes.

"Did I wake you?" he asked, his voice soft enough to count as a whisper coming from him.

"No. That feels good, though; don't stop."

His touch became rougher; instead of a soft, delicate tickle it was a steady massage of his bones against your skin. He leaned in and kissed your shoulder.

"Did you sleep well?"

You nodded, still refusing to move any more than was absolutely necessary. "You really wore me out last night."

He smirked but didn't say anything else as he kissed your skin again. He shifted, lowering himself enough to place a kiss between your shoulder blades before he began actually massaging your back. It felt heavenly, and you made sure to let him know that.

He leaned down to whisper in your ear. "Of course it does; I'm an excellent masseuse."

You snorted. "Don't ruin the moment, Papyrus."

His hands worked lower, nearly tickling your sides before he pushed the sheet out of the way to play with your ass. You pushed yourself up on your elbows just enough to look down at him as you shimmied your hips.

"You like my ass?"

He bent to kiss your left cheek. "YOU HAVE AN EXTRAORDINARY ASS." Apparently, he was done being quiet. You were okay with that.

"I'm not sure about that, but okay."

He gave you a pained look before leaning over just enough to place a series of kisses down your spine, all the while squeezing your ass cheeks. You'd be lying if you said you weren't getting turned on.

"I NOTICED HOW NICE AN ASS YOU HAVE WHEN WE FIRST MET AT THE FESTIVAL LAST SUMMER. I SPENT A LOT OF TIME TRYING TO CONVINCE MYSELF THAT NO HUMAN COULD HAVE A NICE ENOUGH ASS TO DESERVE MY ATTENTION, BUT YOU…YOU DO." He kissed your left hip, then your right. "I NEARLY CREAMED MY FUCKING PANTS WHEN YOU WORE THAT TINY LEATHER SKIRT ON OUR FIRST DATE. IT HIGHLIGHTED YOUR SLOPES AND CURVES PERFECTLY. I CANNOT EXPRESS TO YOU HOW HARD IT WAS TO KEEP MY HANDS TO MYSELF THAT EVENING. I WANTED TO TOUCH YOU SO FUCKING BADLY."

His right arm slid under you and lifted your hips up. For a brief moment, you were worried he was actually going to try something anally and you'd have to tell him to stop, but instead you felt the tips of his phalanges on your already-wet folds. He pushed a finger inside you as he kissed your ass again.

"OF COURSE, JUST BECAUSE YOUR ASS IS MY FAVORITE PART OF YOU DOESN'T MEAN THE REST OF YOU ISN'T EQUALLY DIVINE." He moved over you, still fingering your pussy. "CAN I FUCK YOU AGAIN?"

"God yes."

You started to turn, but he held you down. "LIKE THIS?"

You swallowed, focusing on his finger inside you. "You do mean regular sex, right?"

He pulled his hand free and leaned over you to pull a condom out of the drawer. "I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE DISTINCTION MEANS."

"I mean you're not going to try to fuck my ass, right?" You turned enough to look up at him again. "Because I'm really not into that."

He leaned in and kissed your lips. "I HAD NO INTENTION OF FUCKING YOUR ASS, BUT THANK YOU FOR TELLING ME." He kissed your cheek to your ear where he whispered again. "I just want to sink my cock into your pussy again and feel you cum around me. I want to make you scream my name. I promise these spikes will feel even better brushing against your clit as I fuck you."

Your whole body shuddered. "Jesus Christ."

You felt him smile. "MY NAME IS PAPYRUS."

You snorted before letting out a giggle. And Sans had said his sense of humor was vicious. "Please just fuck me." You lifted your hips, pressing your ass against his dick.

He shifted enough to position his cock before he pressed into you, moving slowly at first. Your body jerked from an unexpected pain, but soon it melted away, disappearing behind small surges of pleasure as each spike rubbed past your clit just as he'd said they would. Like he'd done the night before, he started slow and worked his way up to a nearly abusing pace. Your fingers gripped the sheets under you so tightly your knuckles were white and the pillow muffled each of your desperate cries.

Papyrus' arm under you tightened, pulling your hips up further to meet his as you got closer to your orgasm. He kissed and licked at the back of your neck and your earlobe, sending shivers down your spine every time he growled lowly into your ear.

"Say my name when you cum," he panted. His hand not under you was curled into a fist in the sheet beside your head. You managed enough clarity to grip his ulna, your fingers slipping into the space between it and his radius. You wished you could hold his hand instead. He begged again for you to say his name.

"Pap—fuck! Papyrus, baby…" Your eyes clenched shut as your muscles tensed. "Pa…god…fuck,  _fuck_ , oh!" It hit you like a tidal wave, rendering you incapable of speech as a wail of pure ecstasy left your lips.

Papyrus came shortly after you, growling your name into your ear like a prayer, and you suddenly understood why he'd wanted you to say his name. Knowing that it was you and you alone to cause him to come undone like this was intoxicating. You decided you would just have to have lots more sex to practice saying his name as you came.

He pulled out slowly again before throwing the condom away and pulling you into his arms. You were both quiet as you recuperated, panted breaths filling the silence.

You only got a few minutes to rest before your alarm went off. Grumbling and entirely too exhausted, you reached over and slapped it to shut it up.

"I guess it's time to get up."

He pulled you close and nuzzled his face into your throat for a second before letting you go. "WHAT ALL HAVE YOU GOT PLANNED TODAY? ASIDE FROM WORK?"

You hissed as you stood up, a sudden wave of pain shooting from your cunt throughout your abdomen. Every muscle in your body complained as well as if you'd run a marathon and lifted a bunch of weights the night before. You felt a little wobbly on your legs. Papyrus was at your side in an instant, demanding to know what was wrong.

"I think I'm okay. I promise you that pain didn't exist last night or this morning, but maybe it was a little too rough?" You looked up at him and smiled encouragingly.

He looked like he'd just kicked someone's puppy. "I HURT YOU?"

"No, I just told you I felt absolutely no pain. But, unfortunately, human bodies are stupid and even though it felt great, I don't think I've ever had anything that big inside me ever." You couldn't help but blush like you hadn't just fucked him.

He pulled you into him gently, stroking your back as he spoke. "I THINK I UNDERSTAND. I LEARNED THROUGH MY RESEARCH THAT I SHOULD BE DELICATE WITH YOU WHEN STARTING AND FINISHING. I SUPPOSE IT MAKES SENSE THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN DELICATE IN THE MIDDLE, TOO."

You smirked but refused to let yourself laugh. Instead, you reached up to him and cupped his jaw. "Research can only take you so far, baby. Sometimes a good field study is really what's needed to get all of your answers. I promise you I am one hundred percent fine. A little sore, yes, but I don't think I want to tell you how long it had been since I last had sex. And, again, you have a big dick."

He leaned in and kissed you. "YOU'RE MAKING SENSE. I'LL TRY NOT TO FEEL GUILTY FOR MAKING YOU SORE. WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO HEAL YOU?"

As tempting as it was, a part of you wanted the constant reminder of what you'd done. You declined his offer and instead asked him to shower with you after breakfast.

You both managed to keep your hands relatively to yourselves in the shower. He did help you wash your hair and you helped him wash away all traces of cum from his pelvis and femurs.

"BY THE WAY, YOU NEVER ANSWERED ME. WHAT ALL HAVE YOU GOT TO DO TODAY?" He stood behind you as you picked out your clothes for work that day.

"Nothing, really. I need to go to the store; you saw how low my milk is." You plucked out a purple striped shirt and was about to toss it onto your bed when you realized what you were doing. You glanced sheepishly up at Papyrus before you hung the shirt back up and instead chose a soft yellow sweater.

He was smirking at you as you turned to get some pants from your dresser. "What?" you asked, pretending to be indignant.

He chuckled. "YOU CAN WEAR THE STRIPES TO WORK IF YOU WANT TO. I'LL ADMIT I FIND IT STRANGE, BUT IT'S NOT A CUSTOM YOU NEED TO ADHERE TO ALL OF THE TIME JUST BECAUSE OF ME."

You stepped up to him and stood on your toes to kiss him. "Thanks for the offer, but I really can't see stripes the same way anymore. Especially after last night…and this morning. I'm not into shaming kinks or anything, but I'm also not into being a little."

He cocked his head to the side. "A LITTLE WHAT?"

"I'm not sure I can explain it right. You'll get a much better understanding if you look it up. Just look up 'little kink' and you'll find all your answers." You patted his chest before stepping away to get dressed.

Once you were dressed and all but ready for work, Papyrus texted Sans to come get him.

"SANS AND I WILL BE HERE WHEN YOU GET HOME TONIGHT. AFTER WORK, I PLAN ON COMING BACK OUT TO UPGRADE YOUR SECURITY."

You sighed as you slipped into your shoes. "Papyrus, you can't just change the security around here. Not only would management have a fit if you did that, but I'm pretty sure it's illegal."

He held up a hand as though he was trying to silence you. "I PROMISE I AM NOT GOING TO MESS WITH ANYTHING MANAGEMENT HAS ALREADY PRETNEDED TO SET UP. HOWEVER, THERE ARE A FEW THINGS SANS AND I DEVELOPED IN THE UNDERGROUND THAT ARE NEITHER ILLEGAL NOR DANGEROUS TO YOU. THEY WILL, HOWEVER, CAUSE SERIOUS BODILY HARM TO ANYONE WHO MIGHT TRY TO BREAK IN. I'LL GO OVER EVERYTHING AND EXPLAIN WHEN YOU GET HOME."

It sounded suspiciously like he was going to booby-trap your apartment. Could anything get more awesome than that? Instead of asking all the questions you knew you wouldn't get answers to right now, you nodded and kissed him.

"am i interrupting somethin'?"

You turned to see Sans standing in the living room. "No. Thank you for letting me borrow your brother last night, Sans. I slept like the dead."

He winced. Papyrus nudged your back. "NO JOKES ABOUT DYING. I MEANT THAT."

"Oh, sorry. I mean I slept like a baby?"

Sans chuckled. "all right, sleeping beauty. have a good day at work, yeah? did boss already tell you what we're doin' later? we'll be here when you get home."

You nodded. "Yeah, something about upgrading my security. I need to get out of here, guys, or I'll be late." You went to Papyrus again and stood on your tip-toes to kiss him. He held your hips gently, keeping your balance for you, as he kissed you back. You then went to Sans and gave him a hug before rushing out. You trusted them to lock up before they left.

A small part of you wished you had let Papyrus heal your sores that morning. Having a reminder of your sexapades was nice but trying and failing to find a comfortable position to sit on your very sore cunt all fucking day was not. You were sure you got a few confused glances from your coworkers, but thankfully nobody asked you about it.

As promised, both Sans and Papyrus were at your apartment when you got home. The first thing you noticed was that the place smelled absolutely divine. A part of you wondered if Papyrus had cooked or if he'd brought something with him. The second thing you noticed was that you really, really liked being able to kiss him when you got home from work.

You also chased Sans down for a hug before asking what kinds of security upgrades your apartment was getting.

"can't we eat first? i'm fuckin' starving and you said i couldn't eat 'til she got home."

Papyrus looked like he was trying to force himself to be annoyed. Sans must not have bugged him too badly about food until now. He turned to you.

"I MADE LASAGNA. ARE YOU HUNGRY?"

Your guts flipped in a new way. Having confirmation that he'd cooked was a little too nice. Just like waking up with him that morning and coming home to kiss him, it was something you desperately wished would happen more often in the future.

Not to mention he seemed to hold his lasagna to a god-like standard and you were eager to taste it.

"I am, yeah. I didn't have time to pack a lunch today." You blushed because he was the reason you hadn't had time that morning. He probably knew it. The look on Sans' face told you that he knew it, too.

Papyrus frowned. "DID YOU EAT LUNCH?"

You shook your head. "No. Phil offered me some of his salad, but there's always something up with that guy. I only accepted food from him once and had to endure almost a month of him asking to fuck me."

A loud growl caught you by surprise. Papyrus had gone stiff as a wooden plank, and his sockets were entirely black.

"uh…maybe you wanna keep boss away from phil, yeah?"

"WAS THIS RECENTLY?" There was a dark threat in his voice, and you knew if you said it was there would be no stopping Papyrus from paying Phil a visit regardless of how much information you kept from him. One of his jobs was finding people who hurt monsters; you were absolutely certain he would have all the skills necessary to find someone picking on you.

Luckily, it hadn't been recently and you didn't need to lie to him. You shook your head again. "No, it was about a month after I got hired on, so like three years ago." You stepped up to him and put your hands on his chest, still vibrating from a low growl. "Don't worry, baby; I let him know exactly what I thought of his behavior and he's been as respectful as one can expect from a piece of shit like him ever since then. Besides, he knows I'm in a relationship and I really don't think he's  _that_  stupid."

Your words didn't exactly calm him down, but at least his crimson eye lights reappeared.

"can we please eat now?" Sans sounded like a two-year-old begging for a treat.

Papyrus pulled you in for a hug and kissed your head. He'd finally stopped growling. He pulled away to pick up the pan of lasagna on the stove, and you spent a minute to get drinks for everyone.

You fidgeted a little when you sat down, still sore, and noticed Papyrus giving you an odd look.

"ARE YOU OKAY?"

You nodded, blushing fiercely as you thought about having a conversation about this in front of Sans. Fuck, he would never let you live any word of it down.

"I MEANT I NOTICED YOU SQUIRMING. ARE YOU STILL IN PAIN?"

Goddammit, Papyrus, take a fucking hint! Again, you nodded. "Only a little; I'm fine."

"did somethin' happen?" Sans asked, looking between the two of you.

Fuck. Fuck everything in your entire life. You groaned. "I—"

"YES, SOMETHING HAPPENED. SOMETHING THAT IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS." His face was beet red.

You knew the second Sans understood. Not only did his whole face light up like a fucking Christmas tree, but he giggled like he'd been let in on the dirtiest joke in the world.

"Yeah, this is not something we need to be talking about in front of your brother, Papyrus. I'm fine. Let's just eat."

You had no idea how he did it, but Sans managed to calm down enough to eat.

The lasagna was absolute heaven. You'd had dishes where the sauce was a little watery or the cheese too clumpy. There was nothing watery about this excellence and the perfect blend of cheeses made you rethink your ban on the phrase 'better than sex.' "Holy fuck, Papyrus; where the hell did you learn to make this?"

He smirked. "IN THE UNDERGROUND. IT WAS THE FIRST THING I EVER LEARNED TO MAKE."

"undyne taught 'im, if you can believe that shit."

That was a surprise. "Undyne, as in Major Undyne? The scary piranha lady? She can  _cook_?"

Sans chuckled but was too busy shoving his mouth full to answer you. You looked over at Papyrus, still in shock. Undyne seemed like the kind of person who would burn a house down rather than successfully cook a meal, and probably do it on purpose.

"YES. COOKING AND PLAYING THE PIANO ARE TWO OF HER HOBBIES."

"Wow. I never, ever would have guessed."

"SHE'LL BE HAPPY TO KNOW YOUR REACTION WAS EXACTLY WHAT SHE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE."

Although he didn't sound upset in the slightest, you did feel a little bad. "I'm sorry."

He sighed. "WE HAD A BET. I SAID THAT YOU WOULD UNDERSTAND MONSTERS ARE JUST AS COMPLEX AS HUMANS AND NOT BE SURPRISED BY THE CONTRADICTORY NATURE OF HER HOBBIES AND PASSIONS. SHE SAID THAT YOU HAVE A CERTAIN EXPECATION ON YOUR IMAGE OF HER AND SAID IMAGE WOULD CAUSE YOU TO BE VERY SURPRISED BY HER VARIED TALENTS."

You were pretty sure you understood what he'd just said. Sans giggled at the probably utterly confused expression on your face. "Okay, but to be fair I  _do_  understand that monsters are just as complex as humans. In fact, I think sometimes you guys are more complex than us, but that probably boils down to individuals rather than humans or monsters as a whole. I think I'm so surprised because I know humans who seem like her on the surface and they are really terrible cooks. Like, my friend Jaden would fight anyone and win, but he hates cooking with so much passion that he doesn't even own any pans."

"FAIR ENOUGH. HOWEVER, I DIDN'T MEAN TO SOUND AS IF YOUR CONCLUSION MEANT YOU WEREN'T AWARE OF OUR COMPLEXITY. I SHOULD HAVE WORDED THAT DIFFERENTLY."

Sans groaned. You glanced at him, but he was still shoving his mouth full of food. You were pretty sure he was on his third plate.

"It's no big deal, Papyrus. What else did you learn from her?"

Papyrus spoke about his training with Undyne for the majority of dinner, and you listened with rapt fascination. You learned that Papyrus had learned to play the piano but didn't have the patience for it. While he had already had near-perfect control of his magic when he started training with her, she did teach him how to use his attacks most efficiently and effectively. She taught him that a monster in the underground could be both ferocious in their dealings with lawbreakers and compassionate toward those that needed protecting. He'd been afraid that he would need to exude the same malicious energy as the soldiers he'd met prior to his joining the Royal Guard, but he was happy to know that he could keep his sense of justice and still be one of the most feared captains in the history of the Royal Guard.

Second, of course, to Undyne.

It shouldn't have surprised you that he had taken over Undyne's position as Captain when she was promoted to Major, but somehow you hadn't connected those dots yet.

After dinner, you and Papyrus cleaned up the kitchen while Sans played on his phone in the living room. You couldn't help but splash a little water on him as you rinsed dishes and handed them to him to put in the dishwasher. He glared at you, but you just grinned back and flicked water into his face. You nearly snorted when some of the droplets sailed right into his eye sockets.

"I'm sorry, did that hurt?" You really tried hard not to laugh.

"OF COURSE NOT. IT'S WATER." He ran his hand under the faucet before wiping his whole hand down your face.

Oh. Oh, it was on.

Dishes all but abandoned, you and Papyrus instead tried to see who could splash the other the most. The front of your shirt was soaked by the time you were interrupted by Sans clearing his throat at the entrance to the kitchen. Papyrus wasn't much better.

"not to be a party pooper or nothin', but i gotta work in a few hours. we gonna show 'er what we did to the place?"

Sans really did look like he was sad that he had to interrupt. You almost wanted to ask him to join your fight, but you were suddenly insanely curious about how the skeletons had booby-trapped your apartment.

Papyrus pulled away and casually brushed his shirt off as if just that action could dry it.

"YOU'RE RIGHT, SANS. I MUST HAVE LET TIME GET AWAY FROM ME; I APOLOGIZE."

Sans shrugged. "you were havin' fun, bro. don't apologize for that shit."

Papyrus blushed but nodded and turned off the faucet. He then turned to you and held out a hand. "LET US SHOW YOU WHAT WE'VE DONE."

You nodded and followed the brothers to the living room. Papyrus drew back the curtain over one of your windows. Nothing looked different at all. Sans explained that they'd put a bar in to physically prevent the window from sliding open and pulled out a small metal bar that had been obscured by the siding on the window. He also explained that they'd reinforced the locks with magic.

"magic is all about intent, sugar. you go to unlock it, you ain't got no bad intent so nothin's gonna hurt ya. someone tries to unlock it from the outside like the other night, they're gonna have some instant regret and might possibly lose a finger. depends on how much bad intent they got when they try."

You nodded and unlocked the window out of pure curiosity. As he'd said, nothing happened, but you noticed a distinct red glow surround the lock as you moved it. You locked it again, and the same thing happened.

"Okay, that is so cool!" You flicked it between locked and unlocked a few more times, giggling each time it glowed. "I assume it'll work if they use something like a knife or whatever to try to unlock it?"

Sans nodded. "don't matter what they use, it'll work."

"Awesome. Is there anything else?"

Papyrus grinned. This was going to be good. "THE WINDOW ITSELF HAS BEEN INFUSED WITH A SIMILAR MAGIC. THE GLASS IS NOT UNBREAKABLE BUT SHOULD SOMEONE TRY TO BREAK IT THEY WILL ALSO EXPERIENCE A BREAK SOMEWHERE IN THEIR BODY. IT'S NOT POSSIBLE TO BE THAT SPECIFIC WITH THE MAGIC OTHERWISE IT WOULD BE THEIR SPINE."

That was something you weren't going to try. "Cool." You felt like a kid on Christmas getting things you never even knew you wanted. You wanted to ask what else there was, but you also didn't want to sound like what they'd done wasn't enough.

"THEN THERE'S THE DOOR. COME HERE." Papyrus stepped over to the door and gestured for you to open it.

You did. Nothing happened. "Okay?"

"boss, she ain't gonna see it." Sans turned to you. "the lock's got the same shit the window does, 'cept it's inside the actual lock mechanism."

You shut the door and locked the deadbolt. Sadly, it didn't glow. You knew you'd be spending an embarrassing amount of time at your windows each day just watching the magic activate over and over again.

"PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THESE ARE NOT INFALLIBLE. CALL IMMEDIATELY IF YOU HEAR OR SUSPECT ANYTHING, PLEASE." Papyrus pulled you close to him, and you nodded against his chest.

"I promise."

After a few kisses and once again chasing Sans down for a hug, the skeletons left. You finished putting the dishes in the dishwasher, a smile appearing on your lips as you remembered your water fight with Papyrus. You'd once heard him described as a fun vampire, and once upon a time you would have agreed with that. Now that you knew him better, however, you knew you'd only just scratched the surface of how amazing he was.

You spent a ridiculous amount of time checking each window that night before going to bed. You were positively giddy, knowing you were probably one of the few humans to have a magic security system keeping you safe. Even being alone, you truly did feel safe.

Just before you drifted off to sleep, your phone beeped. You groaned but leaned over to check it.

_**Sans:** _ _i have never seen boss so fucking red in my life. may have teased him a bit before coming to work. it ain't fair that i still gotta lay off the sex stuff , but just know i got so many bone jokes right now. you're gonna hate me._

You snorted before typing back.

_**You:** _ _I could never hate you. Your jokes, however—I already hate them. Goodnight._

_**Sans:** _ _night, sugar. call boss if you get too bonely. phone sex is a thing, ya know._

You giggled but decided not to grace him with a reply. Instead, you put your phone back on the table beside your bed, rolled over, and closed your eyes.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which plans are made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went back and forth on parts of this chapter for way too long, trying to decide which way I liked them better. Ultimately I went with the shamelessly self-indulgent route as opposed to the still-self-indulgent-but-more-practical route. The next two chapters are fully written, so I should be able to update fairly consistently from here on out.
> 
> Enjoy!

"Are you ever upset that I'm spending so much time with your brother?" You looked over at Sans who was shoving a fistful of popcorn into his mouth. A few kernels fell from between his metacarpals. He was visiting for a while since Papyrus was working on the murder case you'd almost forgotten was still open.

"no…should i be?"

You shrugged. "I just want to make sure you don't feel like I'm ever ignoring you or that our friendship means anything less to me now than it did before I got together with him. If anything, it means a lot more to me now."

He gave you a strange look before he leaned over to hug you. Strange; he'd been playfully avoiding your hugs for almost two full weeks. You accepted him with a hard but appreciative hug back.

"i never thought i meant anythin' less to ya, sugar. 'sides, you takin' up boss' instinct to protect means i get to be more stupid about who i hang out with." He shrugged.

"I don't know what that means, but it doesn't sound good. Please tell me you're not hanging out with dangerous people."

He chuckled, but it didn't sound happy. "everybody is dangerous people to a monster with five hp, sugar." The look on your face must have told him how unconvinced you were, because his smile fell just slightly. "i ain't that stupid, okay? but i can see his soul and i know he's changed. he ain't the monster he was in the underground, but boss don't wanna see that."

"Oh. Are you talking about Grillby?"

The faintest hint of red began glowing on his cheekbones. "yeah. that fucker told you about grillby?"

You smirked. "Only a little. I don't know any specifics, just that Papyrus is really worried about you when you hang out with him. Can I say something about that?"

He gave you a look. "you'd tell me even if i said no, sugar. you're too much like boss in that way. aight, hit me. whatcha got ta say?"

You turned a little to see him better and reached out to take his hand. "I trust you. I don't have any idea what it's like to be able to see souls and people's intentions the way you can, but I do know that people can change. I mean, fuck, your brother is a prime example of that. If you trust Grillby, then I trust your judgement."

He winced. You tilted your head in curiosity, but he didn't explain.

"thanks, sugar."

"You don't believe me?"

"it ain't that. not sure i can really explain it, but let's just say i don't like it when people mention my judgement." His fingers twitched toward the collar around his neck, but the motion was quickly abandoned. He cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable.

You decided to drop the subject despite your insane curiosity. "Okay. Well, tell me about Grillby then."

Sans was quiet for a moment before he sat back and grabbed another handful of popcorn. "he's a good guy who needs a friend just as much as anyone else. a lotta monsters are divided on what to think about him because of what he did in the underground. like a bunch of us, he didn't think we'd ever get out and planned his future around that. when it started lookin' like we might actually see natural sunlight, he wasn't the only one to panic and try to sort out debts before we potentially lost everything we've ever worked for. grillby was one'a the ones who actually  _did_  lose everything."

That made you sad. "Papyrus said he owned a bar in the underground and that he's opening it back up on the surface."

"yeah. humans weren't exactly all gung-ho 'bout lettin' monsters sell food 'n shit up here. everyone who had a business they wanted to keep runnin' had to take these classes and get licenses and shit before they could do anything. some'a them were able to get it goin' pretty quick, but they didn't sell food. muffet 'n grillby were the only ones who really lost everything, though, because they only sold food. everyone else either just sold services or had other things like clothes 'n shit. it's easy to buy food from a human, but it ain't easy to ask a human to do somethin for ya no matter how much yer payin' 'em to do it. workin' with monsters is just easier."

You remembered the news stories about monsters fighting for their rights to open their own businesses. Although the legal battle had eventually turned in their favor, you were certain that at least half of the reason they won was because some humans were curious about monster goods and services. You'd been among the groups that had boycotted companies because of their stance on monsters opening their own businesses. You remembered standing outside a large corporate office with a sign held above your head telling people that monsters were people, too, and deserved the right to legally share their services with other monsters. If humans had such a problem with it, they could just not buy monster goods. It was that fucking simple, but so many people didn't see it that way.

"But he finally got everything he needed, I take it?" It was probably a stupid question, considering Sans had been helping Grillby set up the bar almost every chance he got.

"yeah, finally. anyway, what's new with you?"

Subtle. You gave him a smile. "Not much. Work sucks, but that's hardly news. Hey, has Papyrus said anything about jobs available out your way? I gave him my resume last weekend but I haven't heard anything."

Sans chuckled. "if that ain't the cutest fucking thing, i don't know what is. no, he hasn't said anything ta me 'bout it."

"Is Grillby hiring?" You knew Papyrus' opinion and you shared part of it, but something tugged at your gut. You wanted to do something to get to know this Grillby guy, especially since your best friend seemed more interested in him than he wanted to admit.

He gave you a look. "not you he ain't. look, i'd love it if you worked for my friend, but boss would have a conniption fit every fucking day if you were around grillby or any'a his regulars all the time."

"But that's the thing; I've worked in bars before, and I'm not the kind of person to let anyone get handsy with me. Papyrus knows that. I kind of feel like he's being stupidly overprotective."

Sans laughed. "he  _is_  being stupidly overprotective, sugar. that's an ongoing thing for him. think about this way: how would you feel if boss started workin' in a human strip club?"

Something in your chest twisted hard, and your response was automatic. "Oh, fuck no." You couldn't produce a growl like monsters could, but it was close enough. All you could think of in that scenario was Papyrus getting hit on by strippers and onlookers alike. Should anyone touch him, grab at him, or even fucking whistle at him, you'd have no problem gutting a bitch.

"yeah. you 'n boss are a lot more alike than you think you are. give 'im some credit for not sawing the hands off all your gay human friends. he bitches to me every single time you guys meet up because they hug you and he don't like it."

The realization was like a slap in the face. You almost felt bad for chewing Papyrus out the way you had about getting possessive, but at the same time your guy friends were gay. Well, not all of them. Still, it was different.

You sighed. "Okay, fine, I'll abandon any plans to secretly apply to work for Grillby." Then you had a brilliant idea. "Hey! What if we all got together one night? Like a double-date kind of thing, only not because you're not actually dating Grillby."

Sans' cheekbones burst into a bright red glow. "n-no, we ain't!"

You almost laughed, but you managed to keep it inside. "I just said you're  _not_  dating, Sans. I mean, obviously I wouldn't have a problem with it if you were, but—"

"we  _ain't_  dating! i ain't in'erested in 'im like that." He shifted, pulling just slightly away from you, and you scooted closer.

"Mm-hmm. But you do like to hang out with him, right? I feel bad for always spending time with your brother instead of you, and I would really like to meet more of your friends, so this would be like an all-win plan. Besides, it might be fun to hang out with your friend when you're not helping him set up a bar."

He gave you a side glance that told you he wasn't sure about this whole thing. "you 'n boss got a good thing goin'. you don't need us to drag you down."

You waved a hand to dismiss his concern. "You wouldn't drag us down. It would be fun! Besides, you and Papyrus have come to hang out with my friends a lot, but I think I've only ever done the same with you guys like three times. Look me in the eye and tell me you really would not like to hang out with me and Grillby in the same night."

"that ain't fair, sugar. hangin' with you 'n grillby would be awesome, but boss wouldn't like it at all."

Finally, you were getting somewhere. "Okay, I can see that. If I can talk Papyrus into going clubbing with us, will you consider it?"

"fuck yeah. i've never been clubbing, but it sounds fun. i know grillby likes to go. get boss on board and i'm on board." He actually looked excited. It was adorable.

You grinned. You'd be seeing Papyrus in a few days, and while you knew it might take some convincing, Papyrus had a hard time saying no to you about things you wanted.

* * *

As you'd promised, you used your next opportunity to talk to Papyrus about going out with Sans and Grillby. You started tentatively, knowing he would likely shut you down immediately if you just came out and asked.

You both sat at the table putting together a puzzle. Papyrus was putting the edges together while you were sorting the middle pieces into piles of background, main image, or combination.

"You know what we haven't done in a while?" you asked, glancing at him.

He smirked, his attention still on the puzzle in front of him. "I'M PRETTY SURE EARLIER THIS EVENING DOESN'T COUNT AS HAVING BEEN A WHILE."

You scoffed. "I wasn't talking about sex, smartass."

He looked at you then and smiled sincerely. "WHAT HAVEN'T WE DONE IN A WHILE?"

"We haven't gone out anywhere with your friends. We always hang out with my friends, but I think the last time we actually did anything with your friends was when I went to that little party after the Temmies were cleared."

"YOU'RE RIGHT. UNDYNE HAS BEEN ASKING ME WHEN WE CAN HAVE A DOUBLE DATE."

You bit your lip, a warning going off in your head. This could be about to get tricky. "A double date sounds like a lot of fun. I kind of…maybe…already had a few monsters in mind, though?" You tried to give him a cute smile.

"WHO?" He sat back, and the warning bells just got louder.

"Maybe…Okay, so I keep hearing about Grillby, but nobody's actually saying anything about him. I might be really curious and want to meet him. And, I know he's Sans' friend, so maybe I thought it would be fun for all of us to get together."

He sighed deeply and looked down for a second before crossing his arms. "I DON'T WANT YOU NEAR HIM."

"But that's not fair! I really want to meet him, and more than just a quick introduction. I get that you're being protective of both me and your brother, but you have to know that I want to know who Sans' friends are, too." You paused for a second before chuckling. "I kind of sound like a parent."

He huffed, a half-amused sound. "I'LL RESPECT THAT YOU WANT TO KNOW HIM BECAUSE SANS IS AROUND HIM A LOT."

Progress!

"Okay, so I was thinking we could all go to a club or something. I haven't been clubbing in forever, but I always have fun when I go."

He'd started shaking his head halfway through your statement, and he just kept doing it. "NO."

"Please? You can't tell me you're not a good dancer, because you sure as fuck can move your hips." You leaned forward, bracing yourself for what you were about to say. "And we could still invite Undyne."

The smile he tried to hide twitched at his mouth. "SHE WOULD ENJOY THAT FAR TOO MUCH. HER WIFE, HOWEVER, WOULD NOT."

"I think I learn new things about her every time we talk. She's married?" Once again, not something you would have expected out of someone like Undyne. You really needed to accept the fact that you didn't know anything about her.

"YES; SHE AND ALPHYS WERE MARRIED SHORTLY AFTER THE BARRIER BROKE."

"Holy fuck." You'd read about Alphys and the incredible things she'd already contributed to human science since the barrier broke. "Okay, so maybe Undyne would only come if Alphys wanted to? I mean, it would be so cool to meet her. Do they get along with Grillby?"

He shrugged. "SOMEWHAT. ALPHYS DOESN'T GET ALONG WITH MANY MONSTERS. AS GOOD AS THE SURFACE HAS BEEN FOR HER, SHE'S STILL VERY MUCH AN INTROVERTED MAD SCIENTIST. UNDYNE DOESN'T KNOW ALL OF THE DETAILS OF WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN GRILLBY AND ME IN THE UDNERGROUND, OTHERWISE SHE WOULD HATE HIM AS MUCH AS I DO."

"Will I ever get to hear about what happened?" You really didn't want to push him to talk about it, but curiosity was eating you from the inside out.

"I ALMOST WANT TO TELL YOU BECAUSE I HOPE THAT YOU WOULD UNDERSTAND WHY I DISTRUST HIM SO MUCH. HOWEVER, I DON'T WANT TO TELL YOU BECAUSE IT INVOLVES SOME THINGS ABOUT SANS' PAST THAT I KNOW HE DOESN'T WANT YOU TO KNOW YET."

You were close to begging. "I mean, I can put some pieces together based on things we've talked about and things Sans has told me. Sans had an alcohol problem and Grillby let him have a tab. Then Grillby got scared about debts and I'm assuming he confronted Sans about it. Did you fight with him?"

"I VERY NEARLY KILLED HIM."

Okay, that was interesting. "Why?"

He sighed. "THE MOST I'M WILLING TO TELL YOU IS THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO GET VIOLENT WITH MY BROTHER AND I DO NOT ALLOW THAT."

While it wasn't the whole story, it was enough to fit more pieces together. You nodded and turned your attention back to the puzzle for a moment.

"So can we go clubbing with your brother and Grillby?" you asked after a few minutes. You looked up at him and attempted to give him puppy-dog eyes.

He stared at you for a long moment before he sucked in a breath. "WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?"

Confused, you frowned. "I asked you a question."

"NO, WHAT DID YOU DO WITH YOUR FACE?"

"I don't know what you mean. I…you mean this?" You gave him the puppy look again, and he nodded.

"YES, THAT. WHAT IS THAT?"

"I guess you could call it a pout. Has no one ever pouted at you?" How interesting.

"I CANNOT COUNT HOW MANY MONSTERS ATTEMPTED TO USE POUTS AS A WAY TO GET WHAT THEY WANTED IN THE UNDERGROUND. THAT—WHAT YOU JUST DID—WAS NOT A POUT. THAT WAS DANGEROUS."

You had to laugh. "Why?"

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as though he really didn't want to answer you. You pouted at him again.

"STOP THAT! IT MAKES ME FEEL FUNNY."

"Does it make you want to do what I'm asking you to do?" Just to push him a little further, you amped up your pout by jutting your bottom lip out just slightly.

"FUCK. YES, OKAY, WE CAN DO SOMETHING WITH GRILLBY! JUST DON'T FUCKING CRY PLEASE."

You squealed delightedly and hopped up to sit on his lap. Wrapping your arms around his shoulders, you pressed a kiss to his teeth before snuggling into his chest. "Thank you!" You felt like you had just discovered a superpower.

"I SUPPOSE I SHOULDN'T BE SURPRISED THAT SEEING YOU HAPPY MAKES ME HAPPY, BUT THIS IS UNEXPECTED."

"Just go with it, baby."

His arms wrapped around to hold you gently. You turned enough to get back to the puzzle, still sitting on his lap.

"DO WE HAVE A DATE FOR THIS YET?"

"No. I talked to Sans about it the other day, and he said he'd only agree if I could get you to agree, so now we have to talk to Grillby and probably Undyne and Alphys to figure out when would be a good time. Either a Friday or Saturday night, because I really doubt anyone is going to feel like clubbing when they have to be to work the next morning. Oh, but we probably shouldn't drink if Sans has a history with alcohol." You turned to look at Papyrus. "I can't believe I didn't think of that. Is there such a thing as a club that doesn't serve alcohol?"

"I DON'T KNOW, BUT MONSTERS DON'T HAVE THE SAME LINGERING PROBLEMS WITH PAST ALCOHOLISM AS HUMANS DO. HE'LL BE TEMPTED TO DRINK, BUT WITH ALL OF US AROUND HIM, IT WON'T BE HARD FOR HIM TO RESIST."

He kissed your lips, and you decided to trust that he wouldn't let Sans anywhere near alcohol if it would be a problem. "Sounds good. Thank you, baby."

He hugged you before returning his attention to the puzzle. You did the same, and soon enough the image was complete. It was an adorable picture of a puppy in a basket. Afterward, you spent a little time cuddling and making out on the couch. Although you had a problem laying on top of him on the couch, you had no such issues with him laying on top of you. He wasn't nearly as heavy as he looked like he should be, but you attributed that to the fact that was just bones.

* * *

Everything was set. Barring any sudden developments in the murder case, you and Papyrus—along with Sans, Grillby, Undyne, and Alphys—would be going to a club on Friday night.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which fire is hot and lizards and fish are sexy.
> 
> Alternative summary: In which Sans wants to bone the fireman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Funny story: last night I was tired and obviously not thinking clearly when I finished off the chapter. I honestly did not realize that the last few lines could be taken as a huge fucking foreshadowing. It was not meant to be; it was just meant to be like, "yeah they got their cool party plans all set and shit is about to get fun." So yeah. Sorry 'bout that.
> 
> This chapter and the next are like one huge chapter, but it was almost 8k words so I had to split it up. Enjoy!
> 
> Come have fun with me on Tumblr! Sheewolf85 . tumblr .com

You pulled up to the skeleton brother's house with a nervous mix of excitement and terror in your gut. This was going to be a great time. You weren't exactly afraid of anything, per se. It was more that you were nervous about being around anyone in what you were wearing.

You had done a lot of soul-searching as you picked out your outfit for the night. The club you were going to was in the monster-dominated city of Ebott, so you were hopeful that you wouldn't have to deal with human men hitting on you and refusing to take hints like they usually did. Not to mention you would be hanging on the arm of a scary skeleton, so you knew you'd be safe. Still, it was only the third time you'd ever worn the black leather miniskirt, and the first time with nothing but your underwear under it.

You'd paired it with a black corset-style tank top. Objectively, you knew you were the definition of sexy. But thinking about yourself objectively was all but impossible when you knew you were going to be around monsters you didn't know very well.

Still. You'd worn what you'd worn for you and Papyrus, nobody else.

After another deep breath, you finally got out of the car. You'd worn sensible shoes at least, knowing the heels that matched your outfit would have murdered you halfway through the night. Instead, on your feet were a pair of black flats that were both comfortable and cute.

You didn't even have a chance to knock on the door before it opened and Undyne all but dragged you in.

"Heya, punk!" she all but shouted into your ear. Your face was smushed between soft blue boobs for a second before she allowed you to pull back. "Damn, you look sexy."

You blushed brightly as you stepped back. "Um…thank you?"

She was dressed in an extremely low-cut red jacket that contrasted well with her blue skin and matched her hair and gills. It connected below her breasts and just barely covered her enough to be considered a shirt. Silver studs dotted the collar, wrists, shoulder pads, and each side of the opening at her chest. She'd paired it with matching booty shorts that showed off how long her legs were and a pair of black boots that you would have said were army boots aside from the excessive height of the stiletto-type heel. They laced halfway up her calf where a Delta Rune sat proudly on the side. She was as tall as Papyrus without heels; you admired her guts. Speaking of her guts, her abdomen was in full view and showed off her very toned abs. She had a freaking eight-pack.

"You do, too."

Skeletal arms wrapped around your waist and pulled you back against Papyrus' chest. "COMPLIMENTING UNDYNE IS RISKY WHEN HER WIFE IS AROUND. ALPHYS WON'T HURT YOU, OF COURSE, BUT MAYBE WATCH WHERE YOU KEEP YOUR EYES." He kissed your head.

"O-of course. Sorry." You turned and looked up at your date, awestruck.

You already knew he would look good in anything, and it wasn't like you'd never seen him in a suit before, but there was something dangerously sexy about him in a vest. He'd worn a red button-up with the first three buttons undone and a black vest over it. He'd paired it with black slacks and, thankfully, comfortable-looking shoes.

"I…Papyrus…" Your hands went to his chest and slid up, feeling out the bones of his ribs. His hands were at your hips as he bent to kiss you.

"Yeah, if Al 'n I gotta restrain ourselves, then so do you."

Undyne physically pulled you away from Papyrus, and you felt more than heard a whimper escape your throat.

Papyrus cleared his throat and shot a glare at Undyne before pulling you back to him. He put his arm around your shoulders and smiled down at you.

"YOU LOOK VERY NICE."

"Do you like the skirt?"

Undyne snorted. "Is water fucking wet? Where's your lazy-ass brother and his boyfriend?"

Once again, Papyrus glared. "I VERY MUCH LIKE THE SKIRT," he said, staring at Undyne as he spoke. "IT'S SEXY AS FUCK."

Undyne crossed her arms, squishing her boobs together even more. "Hey Al, c'mere."

Papyrus smirked, his arm tightening just a little on your shoulders. You were confused for a moment before Alphys came in the room.

You'd seen pictures of her before. She was a short yellow lizard monster who was consistently seen in an unflattering white lab coat. Your jaw nearly dropped when she walked in.

She was wearing a tight red mini dress that could really only be considered a dress in the barest sense of the term. It covered her breasts and went down far enough to probably cover her ass—you couldn't really tell from the angle she was standing—and the color contrasted magically with her yellow skin. You noticed in passing that the color of her dress matched Undyne's outfit.

"Yeah, babe?" She leaned against the door frame and put one hand on her waist, jutting out her hip as she did so.

Undyne growled. "Angel above, you are sexy. Come meet Paps' girlfriend."

Alphys pushed away from the wall and her steps clicked against the floor as she walked. You glanced down and noticed she was wearing a pair of strappy black heels. She regarded you with a stern expression, something you hoped didn't mean she was judging you as unacceptable for her friend.

"Hi." You waved awkwardly.

Alphys nodded her head and leaned into Undyne. "It's n-nice to m-meet you."

She had a stutter! Oh, thank the lord above that she wasn't as perfect as she looked, because that shit was intimidating as fuck.

"You, too." You held out a hand, and both Papyrus and Undyne reached out to grab your wrist.

"Don't touch my girl," Undyne growled.

Papyrus growled back before all but shoving her hand away from you. He looked down at you then and kissed your forehead.

Alphys rolled her eyes. "I have l-low HP, so my wife is an-an-annoyingly overprotective of m-me." She looked up at Undyne and wrinkled her adorably cute muzzle. Undyne leaned in and kissed her. She stepped back, pulling Undyne with her. "L-let's go let the l-loveb-birds be."

Undyne nodded and turned with Alphys to go sit in the living room. You couldn't help but notice how the dress had been tailored around Alphys' tail, and you had to wonder what it felt like to have an inch or two of fabric rubbing the underside of her tail. You also noticed a tattoo of the Delta Rune on her back between her shoulders.

You turned your attention back to Papyrus when he kissed your head.

"You have some seriously hot friends, baby."

He snorted. "I THOUGHT YOU WEREN'T INTO GIRLS."

You blushed. "Well, I'm not, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate aesthetic beauty when I see it." You leaned into him. "Speaking of, you look really hot."

He made you look up at him as he bent to kiss your lips. "YOU WORE THIS SKIRT TO TEMPT ME; I KNOW YOU DID. IF WE HAD TIME, I'D TAKE YOU UPSTAIRS FOR A QUICK FUCK BEFORE WE LEFT."

Your guts flipped in the best way. His words seemed to be at least part question, and you so wanted to give him permission.

Before you could say anything, however, Sans appeared in the room. He surprised you; he still wore jeans, but they weren't his usual ones. They were black, of course, but fit him like regular jeans, and he'd put on a red button-up shirt. No tie, and almost half the top buttons undone exposing a portion of his clavicles and sternum. He still wore the collar, but he'd left his jacket off.

"'sup, sugar. damn. you look nice." He winked at you and gave Papyrus a truly evil grin before walking toward the door. You were about to ask him where he was going when the doorbell rang. He let Grillby in with a casual greeting, but something about him seemed more alert than he had been a second ago.

Grillby nodded a greeting. As he stepped inside, Papyrus' arm around you constricted almost too tightly. You shimmied just enough to let him know to loosen his grip. He did, but he grunted as he did so.

"sugar, this is grillby." Sans smiled at you and waved at Grillby in a way that made it look like he was on display. "grillby, this is y/n, boss' girl."

Grillby was not what you had expected. You really weren't sure what you had expected, but something about the idea of him being a fire monster made you think he'd be yellow or red or something.

He was purple. He was also tall; almost as tall as Papyrus. The way his flames danced on top of his head made him look like he might even be taller. His whole being exuded a laid-back, almost arrogant aura. He was dressed in black slacks with a silky black button-up and a bomber jacket—black, of course.

"Hey, sweetheart." He grinned at you, and you couldn't help but stare. His eyes and mouth were white against the purple flames of his face. He held out a hand, but you weren't sure if you wanted to risk getting burned. Instead of deciding, you studied his hand. Iridescent purple flames danced on his skin but didn't seem to be hot enough to melt the silver watch on his wrist or any of the thick rings he had on his fingers.

Papyrus growled before you could reach out, and Grillby dropped his hand.

"Testy son of a bitch. Good ta know you still think I'm gonna cook 'er." He looked at you then. "I wouldn't, by the way. I know better."

You tried to smile convincingly, but you weren't sure how well it worked. "I'm not scared."

Papyrus huffed. "OF COURSE YOU'RE NOT." He sounded exasperated.

You sighed and looked up at him. "Why would I be scared, Papyrus? Give me one good reason, because so far he's done nothing for me to be scared of."

"Ooh, I like you. Tell 'im, sweetheart; I ain't gonna hurt his precious bitch."

"SHE'S NOT A BITCH."

You smirked. "I can be. Don't push me, and I'll keep being sweet for you." You stood on your toes to kiss his jaw.

Papyrus sighed just as Undyne and Alphys came in.

"Now that everyone's here, can we get going?" Undyne asked. "It really isn't fair to keep me cooped up with Al looking as hot as she does and not let me fuck her."

Grillby smirked. "You mean you weren't fingering 'er on the couch?"

Alphys coughed and turned an enchanting shade of orange. "O-of course she w-wasn't!"

"I wanted to, babe." Undyne glanced down at Alphys with a juicy look on her face. "I still could, I bet."

"NOBODY'S FINGERING ANYONE ON MY COUCH. LET'S GO."

You decided not to mention the time he'd fingered you on his couch. You blushed at the memory and glanced up when Grillby chuckled. He was watching you, and something about his grin told you he knew exactly what you'd been thinking.

The six of you piled into Grillby's dark purple SUV, and you had to wonder if he'd chosen this color because of his own fire or if it just so happened that the car he could afford was purple. You didn't ask, and instead shifted as close to Papyrus as you could after you were both buckled in.

The club was close. Sans had told you that Grillby's cousin worked for the manager and could get a discount for everyone, which was cool. Once parked, you all piled out and headed toward the building.

Muted thumping of music and hints of flashing lights made your heart pound with anticipation as you showed your ID and got a stamp on your hand. None of the monsters had to show their ID's, but you supposed that might have been because the bouncer was a monster and would know who they were already.

Your group found a table to call your home base, then you dragged Papyrus out onto the dance floor. You weren't sure what song was playing, but it had a good beat. Papyrus was stiff for a moment, making you feel a little awkward as you danced.

"Come on, baby. Just let yourself have fun." You had to shout to be heard over the music.

He pulled you close to him with his hands on your hips and finally began to let himself move to beat. You couldn't help but wiggle yourself against him, turning in his arms to press your ass against the front of his pants. He bent and kissed your throat, his hands sliding forward to your lower stomach and pulling you back harder against him. You lifted your arms and wrapped them around his neck, shimmying your shoulders and turning your head to kiss his cheekbone.

You noticed Alphys and Undyne dancing close to you and Papyrus. Alphys was in a position similar to you, and her tail curled upward between Undyne's legs. Undyne was practically humping Alphys' back, and you had to wonder if that was what you and Papyrus looked like.

You decided you didn't care. You were having fun, and you could already tell that you and Papyrus were going to have some explosive sex when you got home later.

You glanced around again and spotted Sans and Grillby dancing. They weren't dancing together as a couple, but something in the way Sans was watching the flame monster told you he wanted to be.

Sans was an unexpectedly good dancer. His style had a hip-hop flavor that meshed well with whatever Grillby was doing with his feet. His moves reminded you of the music videos you'd seen of LMFAO's songs. Undyne made a sort of scream of appreciation before kissing Alphys and going over to dance with Grillby. Their moves didn't synchronize, but they still managed to flow together like they'd rehearsed it before.

A few songs later, people all around you had made space to watch Grillby and Undyne dance. You and Papyrus were among them, although you still bounced against him in time to the beat. The two dancers seemed to thrive on the attention, getting more animated as they went. Grillby had done a few backflips that had you utterly impressed. Not to be outdone, Undyne pulled off a perfect split and smoothly slid back up to standing. You both envied her ability to dance with the heels she was wearing and cringed in pain at just the idea of her making one wrong move and breaking her leg. She never made a wrong move.

The way Sans watched Grillby reminded you of when you'd just started crushing on Papyrus. He was so cute!

Grillby bowed when he'd finished his dance. His grin was positively huge as he accepted applause, and he winked at you when he saw you were clapping too. He still had a dance in his step as he shuffled his way over to the bar to order some drinks. Sans followed him like a lost puppy. Undyne went back to Alphys, and they disappeared somewhere together.

"I think your brother is smitten," you said as you turned to Papyrus.

He was scowling. "UNFORTUNATELY SO. AT LEAST HE REFUSES TO ADMIT IT."

You knew without a doubt that wasn't going to last for very long. You pulled Papyrus to the bar with you and begged him to have a few drinks with you. He was easy to convince, but you could see him eyeing Sans.

Sans had promised he wouldn't touch any alcohol there. You felt bad for him as he looked longingly at the glass in front of Grillby. A tiny part of you was worried that the fire monster would offer some to Sans, but your fears were unfounded. As Sans reached for the glass, Grillby grabbed it away from him and shook his head.

"You know better than that, sweetheart. Even if you didn't have a problem with it, you're our designated driver. No booze for you."

"gotta say i miss the taste. you even got my favorite."

Grillby's grin was diabolical. He was planning something. He downed his drink—you only had time process a brief curiosity about how flames and alcohol could possibly mix well—and turned to Sans. Without any warning, he gripped the front of Sans' shirt and pulled him in for a hard kiss.

Sans went rigid. You felt Papyrus stiffen next to you as well. You put a hand on his arm to hopefully keep him next to you. Just as he started to get up, Grillby pulled back and smacked his lips together.

"Hmm. You taste like mustard. Not sure that surprises me."

Sans blinked a few times before he spoke. "dude…what. the fuck. was that?"

Grillby chuckled. "You said you missed the taste, so I thought I'd let you live vicariously. You didn't get a good enough taste? I can do it again."

You couldn't help but smile. Whoever Grillby used to be, there was no doubt in your mind that he was good for Sans now.

Sans' face was glowing bright red. "i, uh…yeah…i mean no…i mean, i got a good taste."

"You don't sound so sure."

"KISS HIM AGAIN ONLY IF YOU WANT TO LOSE YOUR FUCKING LIPS." Papyrus finally piped up.

Grillby turned to frown at him. "Party pooper. You sure you wanna threaten me with your girl right there? Ain'tcha scared you'll scare her away?"

You sighed and frowned at him. "No, he's not, because he knows he can't scare me away. Don't be an asshole."

He laughed again. "I don't make promises I can't keep, sweetheart." He winked at you again before holding up a hand to get the bartender's attention. After downing his second drink, he stood and bounced his way back to the dance floor.

You looked over at Sans, a smile spreading your lips as he obviously stared at Grillby's ass.

"Well," you started, scooting over a barstool to be closer to Sans. "I think I have to say that Grillby is not what I expected but in the very best way. You sure you don't have a thing for that?"

Sans' crimson eye lights seemed to shiver for a second before focusing on your face. "yeah, i need to kiss him again."

You put an arm around his shoulders and leaned in to kiss the side of his head. You then whispered where you thought his ear might be. "Don't worry about your brother; I'll keep him out of your business for tonight. You deserve to have fun with this."

He nodded. "thanks, sugar."

You both looked over to see Grillby had started dancing with a rabbit monster dressed almost as scantily as you were. You made a face and gently nudged Sans' shoulder. "Go get your man."

Sans swallowed thickly before he took a deep breath and nodded. He made his way over to Grillby and you watched with a satisfied smile as he hip-bumped the rabbit out of the way. She stumbled but didn't fall. Grillby laughed and turned his back to her, giving Sans all of his attention. The rabbit frowned and visibly huffed before moving on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Grillby and Undyne apparently love the Melbourne Shuffle. I wasn't sure how many of my readers would know what that was, but I'm at least mostly confident y'all have seen one or more of LMFAO's music videos.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which everyone has a great time. *heavy, obvious winking*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a playlist for this chapter. It's actually for both this and the last chapter, but yeah.
> 
> I have to warn you that I've only ever been to a club once and it was when I was around seventeen (like a billion years ago). I have only the barest of ideas about what kind of music is played at clubs. Some of these songs are a bit older and would probably have dated out of the club scene by now if they ever were played, so just work with me here.
> 
> If you wanna hear music that inspired this chapter, please listen along as you read. They're not in any particular order:
> 
> Timber – Pitbull ft. Ke$ha (this is the song that inspired the whole club idea to begin with)  
> Side to Side – Ariana Grande ft. Nicki Minaj (this is the song Reader recognizes while dancing with Papyrus)  
> Party Rock Anthem – LMFAO (Probably at least one of the songs Undyne and Grillby are dancing to in the last chapter because I think that would be awesome)  
> Tik Tok – Ke$ha  
> Scream & Shout – will.i.am ft. Britney Spears  
> On the Floor – Jennifer Lopez ft. Pitbull  
> Work B*tch – Britney Spears  
> 3 – Britney Spears  
> Let's Get Ridiculous – Redfoo  
> Sexy and I Know It – LMFAO  
> Nakakapagpabagabag – Dasu (You'd probably have to search this one up on Youtube. My daughter showed this to me about a week or so ago and I can totally see it being like one of Shyren's or maybe even one of Mettaton's protégé's songs playing in the club.)

You sat with Papyrus and watched your best friend dance with his crush. You rested your head on Papyrus' shoulder and smiled up at him.

"You know what I think?"

He glanced down at you, obviously distracted by keeping an eye on his brother. "WHAT DO YOU THINK?"

"I think Alphys and Undyne left to fuck in a bathroom somewhere."

That got him. He laughed and nodded. "ALPHYS AND I HAD A BET. WE BOTH KNEW UNDYNE WOULD SUGGEST IT, BUT ALPHYS WAS ADAMANT SHE WOULD BE ABLE TO REFUSE. I THINK I WON."

You nuzzled his shoulder. "Don't pretend you weren't thinking the same thing about us."

His cheekbones began to glow. "CERTAINLY NOT! PUBLIC BATHROOMS ARE UNSANITARY."

"There's an alley out back."

He looked down at you. "ARE YOU SERIOUSLY SUGGESTING WE HAVE SEX IN PUBLIC?" He sure didn't sound opposed to the idea.

You shrugged. "I'm just suggesting you've thought of it."

"OF COURSE I HAVE. YOU'RE FAR TOO SEXY FOR YOUR OWN GOOD, ESPECIALLY TONIGHT. YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF ME FOR HOW MANY TIMES I HAVEN'T THREATENED TO RIP SOMEONE'S EYES OUT OF THEIR SOCKETS FOR STARING AT YOU LIKE YOU'RE A PIECE OF MEAT. ESPECIALLY THE HUMANS." His arm wound around your waist and held securely.

"I am proud of you. To be honest, I never even noticed anyone looking at me. You, on the other hand—I think everyone here has checked you out at least three times."

He smirked. Here it comes. "WE'VE ALREADY ESTABLISHED THAT I HAVE AN EXCELLENT PHYSIQUE."

"Yeah, but you're mine." You squeezed your arms around him and leaned up to kiss his jaw.

You felt his chest move with laughter. "PLEASE TELL ME YOU'RE FEELING A BIT POSSESSIVE OF ME."

He sounded like he enjoyed that thought way too much. Still, you really couldn't deny it. "Of course I am, you silly skeleton. Like you said, you have an excellent physique and a lot of people have eyes." You hugged him tightly again before you pulled back. "Oh, there's something we need to talk about while we're both sober."

He nodded, waiting silently for you to continue.

You looked him in the eye to make sure he heard you. "I'm giving you my consent, right now, to fuck me when I'm drunk later tonight. As long as I'm not passed out, please fuck me. I want to know if you're comfortable giving me your permission, too."

He smiled and kissed you. "YES, YOU HAVE MY CONSENT. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS UP, BECAUSE I KNOW I WOULD HAVE BEEN UNSURE LATER."

"Yeah, I don't want any of that. Let's go dance some more."

He grumbled, but it wasn't hard to tell it was all for show.

On the dance floor, you winked at Grillby as you began to dance suggestively against your date. He grinned back and deliberately pulled Sans closer to him. You decided you'd have to find a moment to speak with him alone just to let him know how very extinguished he would be if he hurt your best friend. You wanted to trust him because Sans trusted him, but something gnawed at your chest when you thought about how much Sans had already gone through. He needed a happy ending.

Your attention was turned to Undyne and Alphys when they reappeared. You almost laughed out loud at Undyne's mussed hair and Alphys' smeared lipstick. At least they were having fun!

Papyrus pulled your focus back to him with his hands sliding down your sides to your hips as he moved his body to the beat. Nobody could say he wasn't a good dancer. He wasn't as comfortable on the dance floor as you would have liked him to be, but at least he was putting forth the effort.

The song was one you recognized and could even sing along with if you bothered to remember the lyrics. It had a slower but still heavy beat, perfect for grinding against your boyfriend to show him exactly what you wanted to do him later. He bent, his fingers tightening on your hips as he licked your throat from your shoulder to your ear. The warmth of his tongue combined with the sensation of the studs dragging along your skin nearly had you melting into a puddle right there on the dance floor. You sighed and tilted your head back, gripping his shoulders to maintain your balance. Your head spun with delirious craving as he pressed his teeth gently to the side of your neck. It wasn't a kiss.

He'd never bitten you before, afraid of taking it too far and hurting you. You'd told him a few times that you were curious about it. You weren't into pain, but you did like biting to an extent. You enjoyed the claim of possession and the carnality, and you had already explored biting him several times.

"Please," you whispered, not even sure he could hear you over the music.

His mouth opened and he bit very gently. As sharp as his teeth were, they didn't break your skin. Instead, they sent a shock of pure, erotic pleasure through your whole body to your groin. A moan slipped past your lips and you gripped him harder.

"Goddammit, Papyrus…" You pulled back to look up at him. His eye lights were sharp pinpoints in his sockets. Apparently, the bite had affected him just as much as it had you.

You turned around and shoved your ass into his groin, grinding slowly against him as you raised your arms to grip his shoulders. You managed to finish out the song before the heat in your body felt like it would burn you alive. You turned back to him and took his hand, gently tugging in the direction of the bathrooms. Despite your conversation earlier, you still hoped you had a chance.

He smirked and leaned in to whisper in your ear. "I'M NOT GOING TO FUCK YOU UNTIL WE GET HOME." It wasn't exactly a whisper, but you wouldn't have heard him otherwise.

The next song that started had a much faster beat. You pouted at him, hoping to use your superpower to change his mind.

He shook his head and led you to the table where Undyne and Alphys were downing shots. "YOU WILL NOT POUT YOUR WAY INTO MY PANTS, TEMPTRESS."

Undyne laughed so hard you were almost afraid she would pull something. "What the fuck?"

You blushed but decided to be just as blunt and outgoing as she seemed to be. "I was trying to convince him to fuck me in the bathroom."

Alphys turned orange again, and you had to take a second to appreciate the shimmery quality of her scales. She truly was beautiful.

Undyne chortled, nearly choking on her drink. "You'd have better luck getting him to eat you out in the alley." She half-grinned as she tipped back another shot. Alphys followed suit.

You looked up at Papyrus, your whole body throbbing with how badly you needed him to touch you. Again, he shook his head. You pouted again, and he deliberately turned away from you. Damn him.

"Okay, fine. I need to go calm down, though, so I'm gonna go find the bathrooms myself." You stood up and kissed his cheekbone. "I can't promise I won't rub one out while I'm in there."

He smirked as his eye lights raked over your body before meeting your eyes. "DO IT IF YOU MUST. YOU'LL SMELL ALL THE MORE ENTICING IF YOU DO."

Damn his control! You sighed and kissed him one more time before you walked away. You tried to ignore Undyne's fading laughter.

You decided you didn't want to masturbate in a public bathroom. Not only was Papyrus right and it was highly unsanitary, but you desperately wanted his hands on you. Instead, you stretched a few times and took several deep breaths. You almost splashed water on your face but then realized that would ruin your makeup.

Regarding makeup…You took a few seconds to inspect how your makeup was holding up. You hadn't done a lot since you knew you'd be a sweaty mess by the end of the night, but you had to make sure you gave yourself a sexy, smoky eye. Although your lipstick had long since worn off, you still looked good.

You straightened your skirt and adjusted your bra before leaving the bathroom. Undyne and Alphys were back on the dance floor and Papyrus was at the table with Sans. You looked around for Grillby for a second but didn't see him.

An arm wrapping around your shoulders made you jump back. Grillby chuckled and stepped away.

"Sorry, sweetheart; didn't mean to scare ya."

You playfully shoved his arm. "There's a difference between being scared and being startled. I'm really not afraid of you."

He eyed you carefully. "Yeah? I know Papyrus has told you all about me and what I did to Sans."

The guy didn't beat around the bush. You respected that. "Not all about it, no, but enough to know you were a supreme asshole once upon a time. Sans is pretty sure you've changed. Have you?" You looked him in the eyes and told yourself you couldn't get distracted by their shape and how they reminded you of thin, sharp almonds.

"If you're asking me if I would ever threaten Sans again, the answer is no. Having a real future to plan for does things to a person, y'know? Well, you probably don't know. Let's just say there's a universe of difference between thinking nothing will ever change to knowing that every single day can be a new experience. My HP has doubled since the barrier broke."

That thought was exciting. You really felt happy for him and the opportunities he had. "Can I check you?"

He smirked and held his arms out like he was offering himself to you. "Go for it, sweetheart."

You performed the check and smiled at the numbers.

HP: 900/900  
ATK: 5,000  
DEF: 5,000

LV: 9  
EXP: 850

"I think you have the highest attack and defense I've seen so far."

Once again, he smirked. "Not much can hurt fire, sweetheart, but fire burns almost everything."

You nodded; that made sense.

He chuckled. "Damn, you  _are_  chill. Sans told me a bit about you, but I guess I didn't think a human could care so little about their own mortality."

You crossed your arms and glared at him. "Hey, I care about my mortality, thank you very much. I just don't think there's any reason to feel like my life is in danger just because you're a monster. I don't feel that way around most humans, so it would only be racist of me if I did around monsters."

"I think someone's trying to steal your man." He gestured over to the table where Papyrus sat alone—well, mostly alone. A gray cat monster in what looked like a bikini stood beside him with one paw on her jutted hip. The other paw waved around as she spoke. He was obviously ignoring her, but she wasn't taking the hint.

Sans was at the bar, and Grillby tensed. "Gotta go. Have fun." He all but ran toward Sans, and you decided it was because he was worried Sans might try to drink.

You made your way over to Papyrus and smiled when he looked up at you. Completely interrupting whatever the cat was saying, he all but yelled, "DO YOU FEEL BETTER?"

The cat glared at you. You nodded. "I think so." You put your hand over his and he immediately turned his over to intertwine your fingers. He then leaned in and kissed you.

"Okay, seriously?" the cat whined. "A human? Captain, you know this pussy can give you so much more than that hairless monkey, right?"

He gritted his teeth so hard you could hear it. He looked at you, an odd smirk forming on his face. You were trying so hard to keep yourself in your seat; you really wanted to show that bitch that humans could have claws, too. He jerked his head toward her, trying to tell you something that you just weren't getting.

He sighed. "DO YOU WANT ME TO DEAL WITH THIS OR WOULD YOU RATHER DO IT YOURSELF? IT'S ONLY FAIR THAT I LET YOU IF YOU WANT TO, CONSIDERING I VERY NEARLY DECAPITATED GRILLBY FOR TALKING TO YOU A MOMENT AGO."

Ooh! He was giving you permission to get all possessive of him. With a giggle, you shifted forward and kissed him before you got up and stepped around him. You cleared your throat and pushed your way between the cat and Papyrus, making her stumble back a step or three.

"Listen, bitch. This hairless monkey has got skills you could only dream of. Your pathetic pussy couldn't give him half the pleasure my mouth alone can. Captain Papyrus is  _mine_ , and I sure as fuck don't share. Step off and leave us alone."

Bitch-Cat hissed. She tried to look around you to talk to Papyrus again. "You can't be seri—"

You snapped your fingers and shifted to block her view. "No, you don't need to say anything to him. You need to turn around and walk your frizzy little tail away from us." You made a turning motion with your index finger and pointed toward the dance floor.

Papyrus's hands gripped your waist and pulled you onto his lap. He kissed your cheek. "YOU'RE FUCKING SEXY."

You smiled at him and kissed his teeth.

Undyne and Alphys came over with more drinks. You felt your confidence drop when Undyne all but draped herself over Bitch-Cat's shoulders.

"Hey, Honey. How's Burgerpants doing?" Her words weren't slurred yet, but it was obvious the alcohol was having an effect on her.

"My brother is fine, thank you. Undyne, can you tell me what this bitch is even doing here?" She jerked her head toward you. Papyrus growled, but Undyne reacted before he could say anything.

Undyne's sudden change in demeaner was dizzying. She stood up straight and downed both shots in her hands in one go before all but slamming the glasses down on the table. You really wanted to believe she'd have your back, but you wouldn't blame her one tiny bit if she chose to take a monster's side over a human's.

"You mean y/n? Papyrus' girlfriend? She's here with us." She stood beside you and Papyrus, towering over the both of you even more than normal thanks to her skyscraper heels, but didn't touch you. Instead, her arms were crossed over her chest.

Honey looked like she wanted to argue but at the same time you could see how deflated she became. "Oh."

"I'm sure she said as much, even if it wasn't so fucking painfully obvious by what you can see with your own eyes. What, you think your Captain would let someone defend him if he didn't want them to?"

Honey shook her head. "No, I didn't think that."

"Good. Did you need anything else?"

"No." She turned and walked away, her tail literally tucked between her legs.

You let yourself relax and smiled at Papyrus. "Was it too much?"

Undyne snorted. "There's no such thing as too much when you're defending your mate, dork!" She flung an arm around Alphys' shoulders and kissed her head. "Right, babe?"

Alphys nodded. "B-but I like it when you g-get like that."

Papyrus nuzzled your neck. "IT WASN'T TOO MUCH, AND EVERYTHING YOU SAID WAS TRUE." He placed a kiss on your shoulder, trailing his teeth back up your throat to your ear. He spoke only loud enough to be heard. "I can't wait to get you home and in my bed. You deserve something special for what you just did. Will you stay the night with me tonight?"

You had already been hoping to stay the night with him, so you had no qualms about eagerly agreeing. You saw a perfect opportunity to help Sans out a little, so you turned just enough to kiss Papyrus. Your fingers teased his cervical vertebrae at the base of his skull.

"I'll stay, but you have to promise me that I get all of your attention tonight. You can't worry about what your brother decides to do unless he legitimately needs you."

He groaned and leaned forward enough to rest his forehead on your shoulder. He shook his head a few times before he looked back up at you.

"YOU CONSPIRED WITH HIM, DIDN'T YOU?"

"The only thing I did was let him know that he deserves to have a fun night, just like the rest of us. If that means that he spends the night with his new flame, then so be it." You had to fight with yourself to not giggle at your own pun.

Papyrus groaned again while Undyne laughed and slapped your shoulder.

"You need to trust him, Papyrus," you said sincerely. "Grillby has been really good about keeping an eye on him tonight, making sure he doesn't drink."

He glared at you. "DO  _NOT_  SUGGEST THAT I PUT ANY TRUST IN GRILLBY. YOU'RE PUSHING IT FAR ENOUGH ASKING ME TO—"

You kissed him, interrupting. "I meant that you need to trust your brother."

He was silent for a second before he nodded.

"She's right, Paps," Undyne shouted. "Sans is a grown boy; he can make his own decisions. I mean, he fucking raised you, didn't he?"

You raised an eyebrow and looked at Papyrus. This was new.

Papyrus grunted, something you felt rumble against his ribs rather than heard. His arms tightened around your waist as he leaned in to rest his forehead against your shoulder again.

"I c-can attest to his m-maturity," Alphys added. "He was the b-best l-lab partner I ever had."

You seriously wanted to ask all the questions. You managed to keep your inquiries to yourself when Papyrus shook his head again.

He finally looked up and put his chin on your shoulder.

"See? He's fully capable of making rational decisions, and you should trust his judgement."

You realized what you'd said when everyone at the table winced. Nobody called attention to it, however, so you figured you'd better drop it instead of beg for answers.

"FINE. I WILL TRUST MY BROTHER FOR ONE NIGHT."

"good ta know, boss," Sans said as he slipped into the seat next to you and Papyrus. Grillby took the one on the other side of Sans.

The brothers shared a look you couldn't hope to decipher, then Sans winked at you. He made an obvious show of reaching out to twine his fingers with Grillby's. Grillby held Sans' hand tightly, and you got a good look at the rings on his left hand. One was a thick silver Delta Rune and the other was a silver skull. You had to wonder how long Grillby had had a thing for Sans. You glanced up at Grillby to see that he was staring at you. He smirked and nodded.

Wait, could he read minds? The thought made you shudder, but you were too nervous to ask that question out loud. Either he could and you'd only get confirmation that someone was privy to your extremely debauched thoughts, or he couldn't and you'd look like a complete idiot. Instead, you narrowed your eyes and asked the question loudly in your mind.

Grillby tilted his head, a questioning expression on his features. Okay, so he probably couldn't read minds. He had been a bartender, though, so he probably just had a really good read on people. That made much more sense.

You smiled at him and snuggled deeper into Papyrus' hold, turning your attention to the conversation going on between the skeletons and Undyne.

You danced with Papyrus a few more times that evening, each time getting more heated than the last. Undyne and Alphys were all but dry-fucking on the dance floor, and even Grillby and Sans got physical with their dances. To his credit, Papyrus didn't drag his brother away when he caught on that he was grinding against Grillby the way you'd grinded against him.

When you finally left for the night, you were all but stumbling beside Papyrus, holding onto his arm tightly to keep from falling on your face. Alphys wasn't much better, but Undyne had picked her up and was carrying her on her back. A part of you couldn't look away when you caught sight of the thong underwear she was sporting under her dress, but another part knew for a fact you would be in a world of hurt if Undyne caught you looking. You managed to close your eyes and shove your face into Papyrus' humerus. The hard impact of bone to your forehead didn't feel nice.

Papyrus chuckled. "ARE YOU OKAY?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Are we almost there?"

"IF YOU MEAN HOME, NO. THE CAR IS RIGHT THERE." He pointed to the SUV that looked black in the darkness of the night.

You let Papyrus help you into the car and buckled yourself in before leaning into him. You kissed his cervical vertebrae, teasing him gently with the tip of your tongue. He smirked and held you tightly.

The drive took far too long, but eventually you made it back to the house. You managed enough coherency to realize that Sans had already planned on driving Undyne and Alphys home. Papyrus took a moment to talk to him before they left. Soon enough, you and Papyrus were alone in the house.

He grabbed you roughly by the waist and pulled you up to him. Both of his hands gripped your ass and squeezed tightly, causing the leather of your skirt to groan.

"YOU HAVE NO FUCKING CLUE HOW HARD IT WAS TO KEEP MY COCK FROM FORMING ALL GODDAMN NIGHT," he growled, leading you only as far as the couch before somewhat roughly pushing you down.

You went willingly and reached under your skirt to pull your panties down before you kicked off your shoes. He already had his pants undone and was stroking his dick as he looked you over with a lascivious gleam in his sockets. He pushed your skirt up over your hips and gripped your legs behind your knees to spread them wide before leaning down and giving you a hard lick from ass to clit. Your whole body jerked as the studs in his tongue flicked across your already aching clit.

You reached down to hold his fingers on your legs as he ate you out, taking his time like he was cherishing a delicious meal. He made you cum twice before he kissed, licked, and nipped his way up your body, attempting to slide your shirt up as he did. He ended up unfastening each hook that held your shirt together in front of you, kissing the skin of your stomach after each one was undone. It and your bra was finally tossed to the floor. He laid himself down on you, kissing you deeply as he positioned his cock. You moaned at the taste of your own arousal on his tongue.

Just before he pushed in, he pulled back with a curse to find a condom. You were grateful that he remembered, because you were too far gone to think about it. You helped him put it on and get back into position. He pushed in slowly, savoring every inch until he was fully inside you. You both moaned, and he situated himself to get more comfortable before he began thrusting.

His movements told you that he was trying to be careful with you, but he just couldn't keep it gentle. His bones were shaking and he was openly whimpering into your throat when he came the first time. He continued moving slowly as he recuperated, placing gentle kisses along your throat.

You pulled up on his vest and watched as he sat up enough to pull it and his shirt over his head in one smooth motion. That act alone told you how far gone he was. Sober, fully-coherent Papyrus would have taken the time to unbutton and remove the vest before doing the same with the shirt. Knowing that you had a part to play in his desperation made you cry out and move your hips.

You reached out to run your hands over his ribs and scratch down his sternum. Your fingernails caught scars etched into his bones, scars that told you how much he'd suffered and endured and served as physical proof of how strong he was. You pulled him down to you to kiss him deeply as his hips began moving harder, faster.

"Fuck me harder, baby," you pleaded. You kissed his cervical vertebrae a few times before scraping your teeth along bone.

His hips jerked as he cried out, a deliciously vulgar sound that made you bite him again. He tilted his head back as he leaned in closer to you and began thrusting harder, fucking you into the couch until he was shaking and nearing his second orgasm.

"Don't stop, baby; I'm so fucking close!" You wrapped your legs around him and tried to keep up the movement by circling your hips.

"I…I CAN'T…I NEED…" He reached between your bodies and rubbed your clit in frantic circles as he clenched his sockets shut and fucked you harder. "PLEASE CUM, BABY. LET ME FEEL YOU CUM ON MY DICK."

Your body jerked hard as you came, your hands squeezing his bones a little too hard and your cries stuck in your throat. He came with you, and you were certain nothing could possibly be as magical as the feel of him twitching inside you as your pussy spasmed around him.

He didn't pull out right away. He laid on top of you, his face in your neck, panting like he'd run fifteen miles, and fingers slowly loosening their grip on your sore hips. He gave your throat a soft kiss before moving just enough to pull out. He groaned as he realized he needed to throw the condom away. He kissed you again and got up, staggering his way to the kitchen.

You watched with an amused smirk as he came back, kicking off his shoes by the door and slipping his pants off the rest of the way before he reached you.

"TIRED?" He put a knee on the couch between your legs and bent to kiss you.

You reached out and lazily cupped his jaw. "Yes."

He nodded. "ME TOO." He moved back and picked you up, carrying you princess-style toward the stairs. "BEFORE YOU ARGUE, I'M FULLY AWARE THAT YOU CAN WALK. JUST LET ME CARRY YOU."

You snickered and rested in his arms. "You know me so well."

He laid you down on his bed and helped you shimmy out of your skirt before he pulled the covers over you. "I'LL BE RIGHT BACK."

You reached out to him. "But I miss you. Where are you going?"

He turned to you in the doorway. "WE MADE A MESS OF THE LIVING ROOM. I'M GOING TO STRAIGHTEN IT BEFORE I COME TO BED."

"Seriously?" You really attempted to glare at him, but honestly you weren't even a little surprised.

"YES, SERIOUSLY. I'LL ONLY BE A MINUTE."

You flung the covers off of you before standing up. "Nope. I'll come help."

He only tried to argue with you twice before he gave up. The entire mess was just clothing that had been strewn around, so you helped him gather everything and carry it back upstairs to his room. He tossed his things into the hamper and folded your things when you seemed content to let them sit in a pile. You had to laugh when he actually blushed folding your panties, a soft gasp coming from him when he felt the wet spot your pussy had left behind.

"You are too fucking cute. Come here." You patted the mattress next to you.

"I'M NOT CUTE." He joined you, however, slipping under the covers and pulling you close to him.

"You're adorable." You kissed his cheekbone before snuggling into his embrace.

"I'M A TERRIFYING WEAPON OF JUSTICE."

You snorted. "You can be that and cute at the same time. You're like a cat. Not a monster cat, though; like an animal cat. You're all cute and cuddly but you can fuck someone up real fast." You yawned and closed your eyes.

You felt the smile on his mouth as he kissed your forehead. "GOODNIGHT, Y/N. I PLAN ON FUCKING YOU MANY MORE TIMES IN THE MORNING."

"Mmm. I look forward to it."

You were out in no time.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the fan is reunited with the abusive shit. (the shit hits the fan)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guess what?! I'm closing in on 200 followers over on Tumblr and will be doing a fic raffle when I hit that milestone. Come follow me to maybe win a fic? Sheewolf85.tumblr.com
> 
> And guess what else?! I've started posting Sans' story! Check out Fire and Bone (totally original title, I know). Be warned that it is not nearly as fluffy as this fic. It will focus heavily on mental illness (anxiety, depression, PTSD, to name a few) and some rather interesting (not unhealthy) coping methods. It will also have some pretty heavy BDSM elements in later chapters, so be careful if that's a trigger for you.
> 
> Speaking of triggers...Okay, things are gonna get a bit rough, but I made a promise and I intend to honor it. In a way. Our main peeps are safe, but apparently barely-mentioned side peeps are fair game? Ugh. This was supposed to be a fluff-fest, what the fuck happened?
> 
> Just read carefully (this chap and the next) if you have any issues with knives, kay? Kay.

Papyrus made good on his promise the next morning. You could tell he was worried about his brother, but aside from a quick text to ask how he was doing, you made sure to keep Papyrus' focus on you and you alone.

Sans got home late in the morning. You and Papyrus were eating breakfast at the table when he appeared in the living room. Thank god you'd had the foresight to put on one of Papyrus' long shirts, because it would have been more than just a little awkward to be caught naked in the dining room. Papyrus immediately stood up, cereal abandoned, to look over his brother.

"i'm fine, boss; knock it off." Sans didn't push Papyrus away, however; he let his brother examine him for any outward injuries. When he didn't find any, Sans gave him a smug smile. "told ya."

"I HAVE TO BE THOROUGH." Papyrus came back to the table. "WHAT TIME ARE YOU WORKING TODAY?"

Sans walked up next to you and rested his elbow on your shoulder as he answered. He smelled like a sweaty campfire covered in cum. You wrinkled your nose. "'bout three. didn't get much sleep last night. grillby's a very cunning linguist." He winked at you.

You were seriously confused.

Papyrus groaned. "WE DO  _NOT_  NEED TO KNOW THE SPECIFICS OF YOUR NIGHT, SANS."

"yeah, and I don't need to know about yours but the smell is horrendous. Not to mention you got cum in yer hair, sugar."

Horrified, you thought about reaching up and seeing if he was just joking with you, but you really didn't want cum on your hands while you were eating. Then again, did that even matter if you'd already swallowed one of his loads that morning?

"oh, and he fed me, too; don't worry. gonna go shower and catch a nap."

Sans had already disappeared so you couldn't ask him how the hell Grillby being good with words had anything to do with keeping him up. Then it hit you. You sighed and shook your head, a smile playing at your lips.

Papyrus chuckled. "I THOUGHT I MIGHT HAVE TO EXPLAIN THAT. I TAKE IT YOU UNDERSTAND?"

"Only mostly. Sans is a dude." You really weren't sure you wanted to discuss your best friend's genitals with his brother.

"WE CAN SHAPE OUR MAGIC INTO ANY FORM OF GENITALS WE WANT. WE CAN EVEN MERGE DESIGNS OR MAKE UP OUR OWN IF WE DON'T WANT TO CONFORM TO THE SEEMINGLY BINARY OF HUMAN GENITALS."

Okay, that was just cool. "So you could have a pussy if you wanted to?"

He laughed but nodded. "YES."

"Have you ever done that before?"

"I HAVE."

You might have to ask him to show you just to sate your curiosity. "Do you ever feel…I don't know…weird or inferior doing that?"

He gave you a strange look. "WHY WOULD I FEEL INFERIOR FORMING FEMALE GENITALS? DO YOU FEEL INFERIOR TO ME BECAUSE YOU HAVE A VAGINA?"

He actually looked worried. "No, but most straight men I know have this odd idea that having a pussy makes me less than them in some way or another. I'm not saying that I think  _you_  feel that way, I just wonder if having sex with a vagina makes you feel less dominant than when you do it with a dick."

"GOOD, BECAUSE YOU ARE NEVER INFERIOR TO ME. WE ARE EQUALS IN THIS RELATIONSHIP. HOWEVER, I'M SURE YOU'VE NOTICED I TEND TO GET DOMINANT IN BED, AND THE SAME IS TRUE REGARDLESS OF THE GENITALS I'VE FORMED. AS EQUAL AS WE ARE, SEX IS ONE AREA WHERE I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO BE SUBMISSIVE. REGARDING THE OPINION OF YOUR STRAIGHT MALE FRIENDS, I HAVE TO FEEL THAT YOU ARE ASSUMING I'M STRAIGHT AS WELL."

Okay, what? "You're not?"

"GENDER HAS NO AFFECT ON ME WHEN CHOOSING A PARTNER. MOST MONSTERS ARE THE SAME; EXPERIMENTATION WAS ESSENTIALLY A WAY OF LIFE FOR US WHEN LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS WERE TOO DANGEROUS TO PURSUE." He leaned forward and took your hand gently in his. "IF I HAD TO PUT A HUMAN LABEL ON MY SEXUALITY, I WOULD BE PANSEXUAL. THAT BEING SAID, I HAVE NO INTEREST IN BEING WITH ANYONE OTHER THAN YOU." He lifted your hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it.

You felt yourself blush. "Good." Then you got curious again. "Have you ever wanted to make a pussy when we have sex?" As odd as the thought was, you were willing to experiment to make him happy.

He smiled and pulled you over to sit on his lap. "NO. I UNDERSTAND THAT WHILE MY ABILITY TO FORM GENITALS IS ESSENTIALLY FLUID, YOU DON'T HAVE THAT CAPABILITY. I'M PERFECTLY HAPPY CATERING TO YOUR DESIRES. THE PHYSICAL PLEASURE IS, OF COURSE, VERY NICE, BUT I HAVE THOROUGHLY ENJOYED BEING ABLE TO EXPLORE MY FEELINGS FOR YOU THROUGH SEX.

"I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, BUT SEX IN THE UNDERGROUND WAS NOTHING MORE THAN A MEANS TO AN END; A WAY TO RELEASE TENSION. THERE WAS NEVER ANYTHING PERSONAL OR EMOTIONAL ABOUT IT BECAUSE NOBODY COULD AFFORD TO ALLOW THAT KIND OF ATTACHMENT TO FORM. WITH YOU, THE ATTACHMENT IS THERE AND IT GIVES THE SEX A WHOLE NEW QUALITY THAT I'VE NEVER FELT BEFORE."

You kissed him deeply for a moment. "How can you insist that you're not completely adorable when you say things like that?"

He blushed that time, which made you giggle.

"I AM NOT NOW, NOR HAVE I EVER BEEN, ADORABLE." He kissed your nose.

"Whatever you say, Captain."

His hands slid up your back slowly. "CAPTAIN WHAT?"

He was probably just making sure you weren't trying to refer to him as Captain Tantrum, but you couldn't help but feel a little shiver at his tone. It was deep and demanding and deliciously sensual. "Captain Papyrus."

He nodded a little and stood up, holding you close to him as he took you back to his room.

* * *

At the end of April, you finally had a job lined up in Ebott city. You weren't able to officially start for a few weeks, but the monsters who ran the little shop was excited for help. It paid better than you had expected a small shop to pay, so you'd have no problem affording a small apartment in the area after your current lease expired.

Papyrus had found several apartments that met his requirements for safety and convenience. Some of them were far too expensive and you had only let him entertain the idea of helping you to pay rent for about zero seconds. He had grumbled, but you downright refused to bring money into your relationship at this point.

Things were going great. Well, most things. There was still the small matter of a murderer on the loose, but you refused to live in fear. You had your fancy magic security system which had only been triggered once. It had been confirmed that, that time, it was a drunken neighbor who thought she was breaking into her own apartment.

You had never seen Sans so happy. He acted like a schoolboy in love when you talked to him about his growing relationship with Grillby. They had decided to start out as friends with benefits, but Grillby had confessed only two weeks later that he was developing a deeper attraction and wanted something of a commitment. Sans was nervous about committing to anything, but he had decided to give it a try.

Everything changed the second week of May.

You woke up to your phone ringing for too early on Saturday morning. It was one of your coworkers asking if you'd heard about what had happened to Phil. You hadn't heard anything. Your body froze as Narida explained he'd been found dead the night before. Monsters were suspected to have committed the crime.

You called Papyrus after hanging up, but he didn't answer. You figured he was probably busy, so you left him a message giving him your support and encouragement and asking him to call you when he could.

Despite the death of your coworker, you still had to work that day. Something deep in your soul wondered if somehow Phil's death was connected to Bobby's. You couldn't help but feel like this was another attempt at framing monsters for something a human did. Another thought cropped up halfway through your shift—what if they were somehow connected to you? The first murder had been in your apartment complex, and this one was one of your coworkers. You were dating a monster—the former Captain of the Royal guard at that—it probably wasn't too far of a stretch to think that someone was trying to give you a very morbid warning.

You told Papyrus about your strange thoughts on your lunch break.

"I'VE ALREADY THOUGHT THE SAME THING," he admitted. "WHAT TIME DO YOU GET OFF TONIGHT?"

"At ten. I'm going to be fine, baby." You held the phone tighter to your ear, a tiny bit worried about walking through the parking garage to your car late at night.

"OF COURSE YOU'LL BE FINE. AARON WILL BE THERE TO WALK YOU TO YOUR CAR."

You actually snorted. "You're sending me a fucking bodyguard? Papyrus—"

"PLEASE DON'T ARGUE WITH ME. HE ALREADY LIVES IN YOUR AREA AND OFFERED HIS SERVICES AFTER I EXPLAINED WHAT WAS GOING ON."

"You mean he agreed after you whined for an hour?" This was ridiculous. As scary as the prospect was, the walk to your car was well-lit and you'd been fine so far.

"Y/N, I CAN'T BE THERE WITH YOU AND SANS HAS TO WORK. I COULD HAVE ASKED UNDYNE." He sounded almost as if he were threatening you with the prospect of asking his boss to walk you to your car.

"My lunch is over. This is ridiculous, Papyrus; I hope you realize just how insanely overprotective you're being right now. I'll talk to you later." Without waiting for his response, you hung up and took several deep breaths before going back to work.

You'd met Aaron once before. He was a tall seahorse monster with biceps typical of a bodybuilder. He sort of slither-hopped alongside you as you walked to your car.

"I'm really sorry Papyrus had you doing this," you said as you reached your car. He had literally driven out here to walk you fifty-five steps.

Aaron smirked. "You know how he is."

"Unfortunately, I do. Do you want a ride back to your car?"

He glanced down at his feet. Well…his tail. "I don't drive. No feet. You wanna give me a ride home?"

Well this was even better. The poor guy had probably ridden the bus out, which you knew from experience could take hours longer than a car ride.

"I would be happy to give you a ride home. Hop in."

Only a few days later, DNA and fingerprint testing confirmed that Phil's killer was the same person who had killed Bobby. They still had no idea who the guy was. You felt sick to your stomach. The one and only good thing about it was that the monsters who had been framed were cleared.

Your manager called you into her office on Thursday morning when you got to work. Annoyed and a little frazzled—you'd stayed up too late the night before watching news reports about the investigation—you set your things down and went to go see what you were in trouble for this time. You sat down in front of her large mahogany desk and watched as she pulled out a small folder from behind her monitor. Without a word, she opened it, picked up a sticker, and handed it to you. It was a parking pass.

"From here on out, you'll be parking right out front."

You stared at the sticker, highly annoyed and even more embarrassed. You could only imagine what your bosses thought of your boyfriend calling to threaten them into getting you a closer parking spot.

"I'm really sorry," you started. You couldn't even look her in the eye. "He's ridiculous sometimes."

"Perhaps, but he cares about you. Whether you choose to use the parking spot or not, will you at least let him know that you received the sticker?"

You smirked and looked at her then. "Oh, I'll tell him all right."

You called him that night when you got home. He was busy, so all you had time to say was that your manager had passed on his overprotective nonsense. He was obviously irritated, but he had to go so neither of you got to say your piece.

You had a date scheduled with him on Saturday, so you'd get to both let him know you were perfectly safe and hopefully convince him to never call your job again. Although you knew he had no qualms about talking to humans on your behalf, you knew it would only be easier for him to assume dominance over your employer once you started working for the shop owner. That simply wouldn't do; you could take care of yourself, dammit!

Saturday morning you woke to a text from Papyrus cancelling your date. He didn't say why, only that he couldn't make it. Your soul sank and your anxieties flared: what if he was really mad at you for not just accepting that he was worried about you? With a deep breath and a cup of coffee in hand, you tried to call him. No answer. You texted.

_**You** _ _: Is everything okay?_

You didn't get an answer. You had the day off, so you spent your time doing odd housework and listening to music that helped keep your mind off the dizzying ominous feelings in your gut. There had probably just been a big break in the case, something not released to the public yet. If he was really mad at you, he'd talk to you. You knew that. And yet, you still couldn't ease the tension that pulled at your soul, telling you that you'd really fucked up and pushed him too far.

That evening, you made macaroni and cheese for dinner and sat down to watch the news while you ate. The first story hit you like a sledgehammer to your gut.

"BREAKING NEWS: MONSTER MURDER? The dust of an as of yet unnamed monster was found early this morning at the embassy where they worked. No details about the monster or their killer have been made public yet…"

The sound of the TV faded into background static as you tried to tell yourself to just keep breathing. It wasn't Papyrus. He'd texted you that morning. Your fingers fumbled with your phone as you texted Sans, the screen blurry through tears in your eyes.

_**You** _ _: Just saw the news. Please tell me Papyrus is okay?_

You pulled your knees up to your chest and hugged your legs, resting your chin on them as you sucked in several deep breaths. He was fine. Oh god, what if it was Undyne? Why the fuck wasn't anyone answering your texts today?

_**Sans** _ _: Sorry, sweetheart. Can't talk to humans right now. Boss is fine._

_**You** _ _: Undyne?_

No response. You texted Papyrus instead.

_**You** _ _: Are you okay? Please let me know Undyne is safe, too._

_**Captain Tantrum** _ _: I'll call you when I can talk._

Well, at least you knew he was alive. That was something.

* * *

Papyrus finally called you Sunday afternoon. You were at work, but ignored the questioning looks you got as you stepped into the break room to take the call.

"What is going on?" you all but demanded.

"IT WAS DOGAMY."

You sucked in a gasp. He and his wife had just had puppies earlier that year. They'd been one of the few monster couples to get married in the underground, but they'd waited to have kids knowing that the burden on Dogaressa would be too much for her to be able to protect herself. On the surface, they were supposed to be free from that shit.

"Oh my god, Papyrus, I'm so sorry." You sat down hard at a table in the corner of the room and cradled your forehead in the palm of your hand that wasn't holding the phone. "How are you holding up?"

"I'M…NOT OKAY. HOW IS DOGARESSA SUPPOSED TO RAISE FOUR PUPPIES ON HER OWN? SHE CAN'T RETURN TO WORK YET. THE EMBASSY IS PAYING FOR THEIR CARE AT THE MOMENT, BUT FUNDS WON'T LAST FOREVER."

You sorely wished he was there so you could hug him. "Is there any idea yet about what happened?" The news hadn't reported once on the incident since the first night. You knew exactly why, and it pissed you off. Had it been another human murder, the reports would be endless. Because it was a monster, it deserved the barest of coverage.

"YES." He paused, then sighed. "I KNOW YOU NEED TO KNOW, BUT I DON'T WANT TO TELL YOU."

"I can handle it, baby." At least, you'd pretend to handle it until you could finally be near him again.

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT." He paused again. You could imagine him standing in his rigid stance, possibly looking up at the ceiling as he contemplated how to word what he needed to say. "IF HUMANS CARED AS MUCH ABOUT MONSTERS AS THEY DO THEMSELVES, WE WOULD OFFICIALLY HAVE A SERIAL KILLER ON OUR HANDS. IT WAS THE SAME PERSON."

It only took you a few seconds to connect what he was saying. "The same guy who killed the two humans?"

"YES."

"But the human side of the investigation isn't considering it part of his spree because his victim was a monster this time?" Yeah, that was not okay. "Baby, you know I agree with you, right? This guy is a serial killer and deserves to fry for what he's done. Is there anything I can do?"

"STAY SAFE, PLEASE. JUST STAY SAFE. I DON'T KNOW WHEN I'M GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET AWAY AND COME SEE YOU. SANS IS HAVING A…DIFFICULT TIME WITH THIS. PLEASE GIVE HIM SOME SPACE AND UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING."

You nodded and held the phone tighter. "I can do that. You too? I know I'm going to sound like a hypocrite here, and I think I totally am one, but baby, I can't stand the thought of you being there alone."

"I'M NOT ALONE. NO MONSTER IS ALLOWED TO BE OUT ALONE RIGHT NOW. UNDYNE AND I ARE WORKING TOGETHER AT THE MOMENT."

You heard a shout in the background that sounded like Undyne hollering a greeting. You smiled and nodded again. "Okay, good. I'm using the parking spot you threatened my bosses into giving me." You figured you should at least grant him that little bit of peace of mind.

"THANK YOU." He paused again, and you heard someone talking in the background. "I NEED TO GO." He didn't sound rushed, but you weren't eager to keep him from his work. "I'LL CALL YOU WHEN I HAVE ANOTHER MINUTE."

"Okay. I—" You stopped yourself. Was now the right time to say it? Fuck it, you thought. Too many things were up in the air, and you needed him to know. "I love you."

A pause. Silence stretched on for a few seconds. It felt like hours.

"I LOVE YOU, TOO."

You could breathe again. You said your goodbyes and hung up, then went back to work.

* * *

Another week passed blissfully uneventful. You still watched the news every night and talked with Papyrus as much as you could. He made it out to see you on Friday, and you used every moment to be as close to him as possible. You discovered a whole new level of intimacy when you cried out your love for him as you came undone. He held you tightly and whispered his own love for you into your ear.

The two of you barely came up for air the whole night. The few moments of rest between pleasure were filled with conversation regarding anything other than what was going on in the real world. The only time you came close to discussing it was when you had asked if Sans was okay.

"HE WILL BE. IN THE UNDERGROUND, HE WAS FORCED TO JUDGE THE HUMANS THAT FELL BEFORE THEY WERE KILLED FOR THEIR SOULS. EVERY ONE OF THEM—EXCLUDING FRISK, OF COURSE—HAD KILLED MONSTERS ON THEIR WAY THROUGH THE CAVERNS. DESPITE OUR VIOLENT WAY OF LIFE, THOSE MONSTERS HAD BEEN HIS FRIENDS, AND HE HAD TO RELIVE THEIR MURDERS FROM THE HUMAN'S POINT OF VIEW. IT LEFT A TOLL ON HIM. HE AND DOGAMY WERE CLOSE, AND THIS HAS JUST BROUGHT UP A LOT OF THINGS HE'S NOT PREPARED TO DEAL WITH ON HIS OWN."

No wonder Sans didn't like to have his judgement mentioned. Even if you really hadn't meant any actual judgement, you made a promise to yourself to change the way you spoke about his choices in the future.

"Wait, so was Sans the one that killed the humans?" You propped yourself up on an elbow and looked down at Papyrus' face.

He shook his head. "NO. ONCE HE PASSED JUDGEMENT—DECLARED THAT THEY'D BEEN GIVEN A DEATH SENTENCE FOR THEIR CRIMES—THEY WOULD BE PASSED OFF TO EITHER MYSELF OR UNDYNE."

"What about the ones that died in your traps?"

He shifted, and you got the hint that he was getting uncomfortable with the conversation. You leaned in and kissed him.

"You don't need to answer that. I'm just curious."

"I KNOW YOU HAVE A RIDICULOUS AMOUNT OF TOLERANCE FOR THIS SUBJECT, BUT I'D RATHER NOT TALK ABOUT IT." He pulled you closer, almost on top of him, and kissed you deeply. You gave in easily, allowing yourself to slip back into the sensual mood from earlier.

* * *

Your life managed to settle into something resembling normal once again. You had only another week left before you could start working for the shop owner and move without breaking your lease. You and Papyrus had come to an agreement on an apartment in Ebott, and you had an appointment with the new complex's management to sign a new lease when Papyrus could go with you. Even though he really had nothing to do with your new lease, he had convinced you to at least let him be there to make sure the terms were fair. You gave in simply because you knew you'd want to do the same for him if your situations were reversed. You were trying to stop being a hypocrite about fussing over how much he worried about you.

It was Wednesday when your life took yet another turn for the worse.

You got home from work and immediately knew something was up before you even opened the front door. Something in your soul shivered. You called it intuition. Carefully, you unlocked the door and paid close attention to how the magic of the lock reacted. Nothing was different.

The lights were off, just as you'd left them. Nothing seemed amiss. You checked around the kitchen and dining area, but everything was exactly as you'd left it that morning. Because you were beyond paranoid, you checked each of the windows for any sign of tampering. Bingo. The window in the living room was unlocked.

You quickly sent a text to Papyrus. You weren't sure if Sans was going to be able to teleport him to you, but you figured you'd be able to defend yourself for an hour. To be sure you'd be okay, you snuck back into the kitchen and drew out the biggest knife you owned. You knew better than sneak through the house looking for the intruder. You'd seen enough horror movies to know that there were too many places someone could be hiding and get behind you. Instead, you went back to the living room with a dining room chair and planted yourself with your back to the wall. You'd wait for them to come to you.

After a few long, silent seconds, you heard something rustle in your bedroom. Ignoring a spike of fear in your gut, you swallowed and straightened your spine.

"I know you're there," you said as calmly as you could. "I'm pretty sure I know who you are, too." You were only half-lying. You had no idea about their identity, but you were absolutely certain they were the serial killer. There was no way in hell you were dying today. "How did you get past the security?"

A soft chuckle answered you. You swallowed; you weren't going to let yourself give in to fear. You had a weapon and an attitude; you'd be fine.

"Intent is a funny thing." He spoke softly but clearly in a moderate tenor voice. "I just had to believe that I was coming in to help you. I had to break in because I couldn't find the key you'd left for me. I only got a small shock."

You snorted. "So you really think that helping me into the afterlife is doing me a favor?" Your sweaty fingers gripped the knife tighter. Please, Papyrus…get here soon.

"Being dead is better than being corrupted by their filth." His voice was closer—in the hall instead of the bedroom.

Your brow furrowed. "I really don't understand people like you. Monsters are good people."

"Monsters should have been eradicated instead of locked somewhere they could get out of. They all deserve to die."

Okay. Keep him talking. If he's talking, he's not killing you. You swallowed thickly. "Then why kill humans?"

"In case you hadn't noticed, I had a plan."

"Oh, right. You were going to frame monsters for what you did. That really didn't work out, did it?" Maybe goading him wasn't a good idea. You licked your lips and told yourself to reign in your own temper.

"This time will be different. I know what I did wrong the other times. I won't leave any evidence this time."

Tears gathered in your eyes despite your attempts at keeping them at bay. "The monsters at the embassy will know exactly what happened. They're not stupid."

He huffed in amusement. "Of course they're stupid; they're monsters. But, y'know, when that idiotic captain is charged with your murder, it'll pretty much derail whatever investigation they try to conduct."

Your whole body was shaking now. Where the fuck was Papyrus? You glanced at your phone and almost whimpered when you realized it had only been fifteen minutes since you'd texted him. You sucked in a stabilizing breath and let it out slowly.

"Why frame him?"

Your eyes snapped to the hallway entrance when you saw movement. He was still inching his way closer to you. You pressed your back tighter against the wall and held the knife up just a little bit, preparing yourself.

"Two reasons. First, he's a fairly prominent monster who's already known to have killed humans in the past. It's not a big stretch to say he'd do it again. Second, if humans believe that monsters can snap at the smallest things, they'll be more likely to stop thinking monsters are real people."

Dammit, he'd really thought this through. "Humans can snap at the smallest things. I mean, you think you're doing good, but you're literally killing people. That's not a good thing in any situation."

"And yet you've made his past okay."

You rolled your eyes. "You aren't being forced to kill people out of desperation."

"Actually, I am."

Just as you heard a familiar pop next to you, the killer finally showed himself. You didn't recognize him. He wasn't remarkable in any way. He wasn't tall, his hair was a bland sandy color and he had a trimmed goatee. His eyes—blue—were small and actually innocent-looking. He was even dressed unremarkably; he wore a forest green polo shirt with khaki pants.

A few things happened at once. The first thing your mind processed was Papyrus pulling you out of the chair and into his embrace. You heard his voice in your ear but didn't understand the words. Your focus was on Sans, standing between you and the killer. His right hand was outstretched and glowed brightly with blue magic. The killer, instead of advancing as he'd been only seconds earlier, was pressed with his back against the far wall, his chest glowing blue.

"it's him, boss," Sans said, a waver in his voice. "he's the killer." His whole body shuddered. "fuck…"

"SANS, DON'T ENGAGE."

"he's gonna kill 'er."

"NO, HE'S NOT. HE'S NOT GOING TO HURT YOU, EITHER. DO NOT ENGAGE. THAT'S AN ORDER, SANS."

"you can't see his soul." He was crying.

"I DON'T NEED TO. YOU'VE GIVEN ME ALL THE INFORMATION I NEED, SANS. YOU'VE DONE WELL. GO HOME, AND I'LL BE THERE SOON."

"like fuck i'm leavin' you here with 'im!"

The killer laughed. He tried to push himself off the wall, but whatever Sans was doing kept him firmly planted. "You're pathetic," he said with an obvious taunt.

Papyrus stepped away from you, and you sank back onto your chair. The killer was saying something else, but your focus was on Sans. His magic faltered at the same time as he bent forward, one hand gripping the collar around his neck.

Without Sans' grip holding him against the wall, the killer shoved forward and pulled a knife from his pocket. You tried to scream, but it caught in your throat. Papyrus turned and blocked the attack with one arm and smoothly twisted to hit him in the chest, causing him to stumble back gracelessly to the wall.

Papyrus turned to you then, a plea in his eyes. "GET HIM OUT OF HERE AND CALL THE POLICE." He gestured to Sans, who had fallen to his knees.

You nodded and rushed forward, dropping your knife on the carpet as you bent to grab Sans under the arms and haul him into the kitchen. His body was shaking so hard he couldn't stand on his own. He was only a little heavier than you'd expected and it wasn't too hard to maneuver him. Once he was out of harm's way, you set him down next to the counter and stepped back. He curled himself into as tight a ball as he could, his knees to his chest and his arms over his head. As much as you wanted to hold him and comfort him, some part of you knew that just you being human would only make things worse for him.

Instead of touching him, you sat down in front of the pantry where you could almost see what was going on in the living room. Even though you knew your presence wasn't calming to Sans, you were almost certain that being alone would only be worse. You could hear the fight going on.

You shook your head to clear it then picked up your phone and dialed. You spoke quickly to the operator, explaining the full situation. He wanted to stay on the line with you, so you put the phone on speaker so you could still pay attention in case Papyrus needed anything else.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kind of feel like this was an awkward chapter ending, but again the full chapter is actually this one and the next but it got too long to actually be one chapter. I had to split it in the middle. I thought about ending this chapter when Reader sits in the chair talking to the killer, but then I decided that would be far too cruel. We needed to see that our boys showed up in time to help her.
> 
> Okay, so a few notes to clarify some things because I found myself wondering about them and thought maybe someone else might benefit from some (semi)useless facts about this particular world's history.
> 
> First, I remember hearing or reading or whatever something about how in the Undertale universe, human souls stay around like forever after the human has died. Maybe I'm wrong or maybe it was headcanon, IDK. My point in bringing this up is that it's not the case here. They stick around longer than a monster's soul, but there's still only a short window of time after a human's death that their soul can be harvested. Hence the reason that so many humans were killed in the underground—far more than just six prior to when Frisk showed up.
> 
> Second, there was no genocide run and no resets. I don't know if Frisk even has the ability to reset, but it's not ever going to come up in-story. They had one run, never so much as hit a monster, and never died. However, there were some violent humans that did some real damage before Frisk came along, and Sans has had to deal with them.
> 
> If y'all have any questions that come up about the characters or the world or anything like that, I love talking about what I write, no matter how similar the worlds may be to others. I just love it. It makes me happy. So ask me questions; I promise you won't be bugging me. Or don't ask questions if you don't have any. I'm just awkward. Sorry. I'm gonna go now.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which things begin to return to normal. Sort of. Whatever normal might be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are a few potentially triggering things in this chapter. To avoid spoiling things for those unaffected by triggers (lucky you), I'm going to put the notes regarding those triggers in the end notes. Please check those out if you feel you need to.
> 
> That being said, we are nearing the end of the story. Barring any sudden outline diarrhea or uncontrollable word vomit (such pleasant visuals, I know), the next chapter will be the last. *le sigh* This has been a fun ride.
> 
> Fire and Bone will also be updated shortly, so be sure to check that out!
> 
> And, of course, as always, come follow me on Tumblr! I do Undertale stuff there sometimes! Among other random shit! And cats! Sheewolf85.tumblr.com (!)

You didn't have a chance to overthink anything as you sat in the kitchen with Sans, listening to Papyrus and the killer fight in the living room. A loud crash caused you to jump, then suddenly a hand gripped your hair hard and pulled, dragging you out into the living room. You screamed and kicked your legs, clawing at the hand in your hair in an attempt to free yourself.

The killer hauled you up on to your ass and knelt behind you. Your whole soul dropped when you saw Papyrus staggering to his feet. He'd been wounded, magic seeping from the old scar over his left socket and new cracks scattered across his arms. You felt something cold and sharp against your throat.

"Watch carefully," he said, his breath hot against your cheek. "Watch your whore die for you."

Papyrus growled, his face contorting into a chilling glower, and he lunged forward. The knife didn't even penetrate your skin before Papyrus pulled the killer away from you. You closed your eyes and screeched out of confused terror. There was a muted crack and then a thud. You looked up, scared for your boyfriend, only to see the killer on the floor in front of you. He stared at you, but his eyes were vacant. You noticed only a few seconds later that his neck was turned at an unnatural angle.

Papyrus knelt next to you, and you jumped when he tried to wrap his arms around you. He pulled back instantly.

"YOU'RE SAFE," he said calmly. "HE CAN'T HURT YOU NOW."

Your eyes were still glued to the man on the floor. Your disoriented brain was just now beginning to understand that he was dead.

When you were finally able to look away, Papyrus wasn't next to you. You heard him in the kitchen soothing Sans. You stood up on shaky legs and managed to stumble your way to the kitchen.

A hard knock at the door caught your attention. You went to answer it and almost laughed when it was the cops. You barely managed to refrain from commenting on their impeccable timing. Instead, you stepped back and let them in as you explained what had happened.

Papyrus came out to the living room to explain as well. He didn't get very far before one of the officers interrupted him.

"You killed this man?" he asked, one hand going to the handcuffs kept on the back of his pants.

"YES, BUT—"

He was interrupted again, this time by the other officer shoving him down onto his knees. The second officer reached for his baton.

"No!" You tried to stop them from hurting your boyfriend but was all but shoved away. "He saved my life!"

Nothing you said or did stopped them. Papyrus was cuffed and hauled back to his feet. Desperate, you smacked one of the officer's arms trying to get him to listen to you.

"Do you want to go in for assaulting an officer?" he asked with a shout.

You shook your head and looked at Papyrus. He stood tall, but there was something in his face that seemed ashamed. You needed him to know that you didn't blame him for what he did. He didn't have a choice! You didn't get a chance to say anything else before he was taken away. A third officer stayed with you to take your side of the story. You made sure to emphasize that the dead man on the floor was the killer they'd been trying to find for over a month and that Papyrus had saved your life, only doing what he did out of necessity.

It felt like hours before you were alone again. More people in uniform had shown up—you were fairly certain someone was a coroner and others were there to assess the crime scene. The body was taken away and you were given information on crime scene clean up and what to do if you found any other evidence.

Sans was nowhere to be found. You thought he'd probably teleported home when the cops showed up.

You didn't sleep that night. A very small part of you hoped that Papyrus would use his phone call to let you know he was okay, but you knew better than that. He was smart, which meant he'd use that phone call to let Undyne or maybe even the king himself know what was going on.

Everything was going to be okay. You repeated it in your mind a hundred times. Once they processed the body, they'd realize that neither you nor Papyrus were lying and that he was actually the killer they'd been looking for. They'd understand that Papyrus was not a bad guy who just snapped and killed someone. They'd let him go.

You called in to work the next day and spent your time trying to contact Undyne or anyone else at the embassy to see what you could do to help. As it turned out, there wasn't much you could do. Undyne came out to get your statement and gave you a suffocating hug, then told you to just keep living life like normal and she'd get everything else sorted.

Two days passed before you finally heard anything like an update. According to the news report, testing showed a connection between the murdered human and the killer. You'd rolled your eyes; of course there was a connection—they were the same person!

The next night, you got word that Papyrus had been released. You were so relieved and tried to call him with no answer. Okay, he was busy. He had things to work out. You waited for him to call you. When you didn't hear from him the next day, you tried to call him again. He still didn't answer. You sent him a text asking if he was okay. He didn't respond.

Something began to eat at your stomach. He would call you if he was okay. Hell, he should even call you if he wasn't okay. You tried to get in touch with Undyne again but didn't have any luck with that route.

Doubts began to seep into your thoughts. You should have done more to prove his innocence. You should have fought harder when the cops took him away. There were so many things you could have done, you were sure of it. Just because you couldn't think of anything specific didn't mean jack shit. You hadn't done enough, and he was mad at you for it.

He had every fucking right to be, you told yourself. How would you feel if your positions were reversed? If you'd been held in jail for days and he just let you sit there? You'd feel abandoned.

Fuck. You'd abandoned him when he needed you most.

You felt sick to your stomach and tried to call him one more time to apologize. You'd do anything to make it up to him. Anything!

* * *

You didn't hear anything from Papyrus or Sans for the next three days.

Your heart was in a near constant state of pain, wondering if the next time you heard from Papyrus would be when he broke up with you or what Sans might have to say when he broke silence. You just couldn't fathom losing your best friend over what had happened. It hadn't been your fault!

On the fourth day, you decided you needed to go pay a visit to your skeleton friends to assess the damage and at least find out where you stood. If they truly didn't want to see you anymore, then you'd deal with it.

Your whole body was shaking with anxiety when you pulled up to Sans and Papyrus' home. Papyrus' car was there, so at least he was home. After a few deep breaths, you got out and walked up to the door.

Papyrus answered and stared at you for a long moment before finally stepping back and allowing you to come inside.

"Hi." You managed a little wave, keeping your hands in check when they wanted to reach out and touch him.

He gave you a curt nod. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

You wouldn't cry. Not in front of him, at least. "I haven't heard anything from you guys since you were released, and I was getting worried. I figured I'd come see if you and Sans are okay."

He looked you over, his expression betraying his doubt. "WE'RE FINE."

Okay, this wasn't going well. You nodded and bit your lip to keep it from quivering. "Good. That's good." You weren't sure what else to say and stood there in uncomfortable silence for a moment.

He crossed his arms over his chest. "IS THAT ALL YOU NEEDED?"

Yeah, you were over. As hard as you tried to keep it from happening, a tear marked its way down your left cheek. You quickly swiped it away. "Um…I guess so. I, um…Thank you, Papyrus. For everything." You took a step backward, toward the door, and prayed that you could get out before you burst into tears.

Papyrus took a step back as well, and your heart broke at the look of pain on his face. Something was wrong, but he wasn't going to talk to you about it.

"I'm sorry. I…" You wanted to run away. At the same time, you knew you probably wouldn't get another chance to say what you felt you needed to say. You did your best to stabilize your voice as you spoke. "I had the best time with you. I hope you know that. I'm really sorry for…everything." For being the worst girlfriend in the world. You couldn't force yourself to say that.

You paused for a moment, unsure if you should even say your next words. Ultimately, you knew you would regret it the rest of your life if you kept it to yourself. "I still love you. I'll go now."

Just as you turned to the door, his hand on your arm stopped you. You didn't dare look up at him, knowing you wouldn't be able to maintain the precarious hold on your composure if you did.

"Y/N…I…" He stopped but didn't let go of your arm. Instead, his fingers tightened their hold. "I LOVE YOU, TOO."

That time you did look up at him. There was something in his sockets that felt like a sucker punch to your soul. Was it guilt? Regret?

"Then why—"

"I'M A FUCKING IDIOT."

You shook your head. "No, you're not. I'm the one that fucked up."

He pulled you into a tight hug then and you couldn't even try to stop yourself from hugging him back. Your fingers gripped the back of his shirt as you pressed your face into his ribs. The magic thrum of his soul made it impossible to keep your tears from falling. After today, you would never get to feel this again. As desperately as you wanted to commit every single moment of this to memory, you knew your stupid human brain would soon forget just how it felt to be held by him.

"I WAS SO AFRIAD THAT YOU WOULD BE TOO SCARED TO SEE ME. I LET MYSELF PUSH YOU AWAY BECAUSE OF THAT, AND FOR THAT I AM THE BIGGEST IDIOT THAT HAS EVER EXISTED." He bent and kissed the top of your head.

You looked up at him and sniffled. "I don't understand."

He smiled then and kissed your forehead. "YOU WATCHED ME MURDER A HUMAN RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU. IF I HAD FOUND HIM EARLIER, THEN—"

"Let me stop you right there, Papyrus. What happened wasn't your fault, okay? I know what the anti-monster group are capable of. Yes, it's scary as fuck being put in a situation where my life is in danger, but I wouldn't ever give up what I have with you to feel a modicum of safety. I love you, dammit!"

"WHY? AFTER WHAT I DID?"

You sighed and shook your head. "Papyrus, why can't you see that I trust you with my life? You did what you did because both your brother and I were in very real danger. He wouldn't have stopped, and you know that. He would have kept attacking until he died or got what he wanted, and what he wanted was us dead. I mean, after it was confirmed that his DNA matched the killer's, even the human side of the investigation—the people that wanted to send you to prison—agreed it was self-defense."

"YOU ARE REALLY AMAZING, YOU KNOW THAT?"

"I'm not amazing at all. I didn't…I should have…I don't know. I should have fought harder." You shook your head.

"NO, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE. HE WOULD HAVE SLIT YOUR THROAT." You heard his bones rattle with a shiver.

"I mean with the investigation. I should have done something more than what I did. Because of me, you were held longer than you needed to be." You'd convinced yourself that was the truth despite your lack of any real proof.

He made you look up at him. "BECAUSE OF YOU I WAS RELEASED A DAY EARLIER THAN I WOULD HAVE BEEN OTHERWISE."

Your brow furrowed. "What?"

He bent and placed a kiss on your forehead. "APPARENTLY MONSTERS WITH CLOSE HUMAN CONNECTIONS ARE TREATED BETTER THAN THOSE WITHOUT. YOUR NEAR CONSTANT CONTACT WITH THE OFFICERS PROVED THAT I'M APPARENTLY MORE VALID THAN OTHERS."

The thought made you sick for all the monsters without close human connection. You forced yourself to let it go. Pressing yourself against him again, you sucked in a deep breath and squeezed him tightly. "Are we okay?"

He held you just as tightly. "IF YOU CAN FORGIVE ME FOR PUSHING YOU AWAY, THEN YES."

"You were scared. I get that. Next time, please talk to me. I promise I won't bite. At least not in the not-kinky way." You grinned up at him, and he chuckled.

He bent to kiss you, and you didn't even hesitate to deepen it. You pulled back only a moment later.

"Is Sans home?"

"NO; HE'S AT WORK."

Nodding, you pulled away from Papyrus only to take his hand and lead him upstairs to his bedroom. You had missed him so much, and the knowledge that your relationship had survived put you in a state. He followed you, a confused expression on his face.

Once in his room, he shut the door behind him and kissed you.

"Make up sex?" You asked, biting your lip and looking over his tall form.

He touched your cheek. "ARE YOU SURE?"

"I really need you, Papyrus. I've missed you so much."

Without hesitation, he pulled you up to him, lifting you off the ground as he did so, and pressed his face into your neck. Your arms and legs wrapped around him excitedly, and you tilted your head back to give him more room to work. He laid you down on the bed but didn't let go as he laid on top of you. His hips ground into yours as he licked your throat to your ear. The resulting shock of pleasure danced through your body in the best way, and you lifted up on his shirt.

He took the hint and sat up long enough to strip the shirt and tossed it somewhere off the bed. In a frenzy, you both worked together to undress as quickly as possible. You pushed him onto his back and crawled on top, kissing his ribs and sternum as you got into position. He held your hips gently as you reached beneath you to grip his cock and slowly sank onto it.

You both whined as you sat down fully on his hips, his dick filling you in one smooth motion. You began rocking against him slowly, thoroughly enjoying the sensation of him inside you. You had been so certain you'd never get to experience this again, but here you were. It seemed to heighten every emotion and every touch as you both lost yourselves in the act of making love to each other.

"Fuck, baby," you growled against his bones. Your fingers gripped his ribs tightly. "God, you fuck me so good, Papyrus."

His fingers dragged up your side to your tits. His hips lifted with each of your descents, driving you ever closer to an incredible end. He panted in time with your movements, each exhale a growled expletive or cry of worship. Your whole body began shaking as you neared orgasm, and you leaned in closer to kiss his trembling bones.

"I love you so much, baby," you whimpered. "Please…please, baby, I'm so fucking close!"

His arms wrapped around you and flipped you over so he was on top. He kissed you wildly as he fucked you hard until you came. You held your breath as the first few waves of pleasure crashed over your whole body, then a wail of ecstasy erupted from your throat. He kissed you harder and growled deep in his chest as he came, spilling his seed deep inside you.

You both panted as you came down from the high. He rolled over onto his back and pulled you with him, and you snuggled into his side. You were both silent for a long while as you basked in the afterglow.

His arms tightened around you and he kissed your head.

"I LOVE YOU," he said.

You grinned and kissed his clavicle. "I'm never going to get tired of hearing that. Or saying it. I love you, too."

"NOR WILL I." He sucked in a huge breath and let it out slowly. "SANS WILL BE HAPPY TO KNOW THAT WE'RE STILL TOGETHER. HE'S BEEN WORRIED ABOUT YOU."

You shifted just enough to pull the covers over you and Papyrus, then lifted yourself up onto an elbow to see him better. "Did you tell him not to talk to me?"

He shook his head. "NO. HE'S BEEN STRUGGLING." He frowned, thinking about something before he continued. His hands gently rubbed your back as he spoke. "WHAT HAPPENED BROUGHT BACK TOO MANY MEMORIES FROM THE UNDERGROUND. WE'VE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER TO HELP HIM GET PAST IT. TODAY WAS THE FIRST TIME HE'S GONE BACK TO WORK SINCE IT HAPPENED. HE HAD TO QUIT HIS JOB AT THE CALL CENTER BUT IS STILL WORKING WITH ALPHYS."

You nodded and let your fingers play along his ribs as you thought about what he'd said. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"BE PATIENT WITH HIM. DON'T GET DISCOURAGED IF HE NEEDS TIME AWAY FROM HUMANS FOR A BIT."

You nodded again and laid back down, snuggling into his side. You would give Sans anything he needed, but you really hoped he'd start talking to you again soon. You missed him.

"Is he gonna be okay with me being here, or should I leave before he gets home?"

Papyrus' arms squeezed you almost too tightly. "I DON'T WANT YOU TO LEAVE. STAY, AND IF HE'S NOT OKAY WHEN HE GETS HOME I'LL HELP HIM GET PAST IT."

"I can do that."

The two of you stayed in bed for a while longer, just enjoying being so close to one another. Around four o'clock, Papyrus started to get fidgety, so you both got up and got dressed. He allowed you to help figure out what to make for dinner but didn't let you help with the actual preparation. It didn't surprise you in the least. Instead, you sat on the couch and found a show to watch to keep your mind busy.

Once dinner was in the oven, Papyrus joined you. He pulled you onto his lap and kissed your head, and you rested against him peacefully.

You nearly jumped out of your skin when Sans appeared in the living room at five thirty. You weren't sure how you could relax and tense at the same time, but it happened as you waited to see how he'd react to you being there.

"heya, sugar," he said, a smile on his face. "how ya doin'?"

He sat down next to you and Papyrus and put a hand on your knee. You smiled at him and tentatively reached out to hold his hand.

"I'm okay. Better now that I confronted your brother." You nuzzled Papyrus' shoulder as you spoke. "I was worried about you guys."

Sans winced, and you instantly felt bad for saying that. "yeah, shit got bad. sorry."

You sat up a little and squeezed his fingers. "Please don't apologize, Sans. I just want you guys to be okay."

He smiled again. "thanks."

After a moment, you noticed Sans start to visibly tense. He took his hand from yours and looked at Papyrus, his sockets huge and his crimson eye lights shaking. One hand reached up to the collar around his neck, gripping it tightly. It was strange; he never called any attention to it and played it off as a joke to anyone who said anything about it. You vaguely remembered him holding it tightly as he'd confronted the killer. Papyrus reached out and pushed Sans' hand away before gripped the back of the collar, tightening it around his throat.

You wanted to say something, but you kept your mouth shut. You needed to trust that the brothers knew more about how to handle these situations than you did.

"WHERE ARE YOU?" Papyrus asked, holding the collar even tighter.

"right here beside ya," Sans answered.

"RIGHT WHERE BESIDE WHO?"

"on the couch next ta boss 'n sugar." His voice was tight, and it made you want to cry.

Papyrus' hand twisted to the point you were certain he was choking his brother. You still forced yourself to stay silent.

"DO YOU NEED HER TO LEAVE?"

Sans shook his head. "no."

He was definitely choking. You glanced at Papyrus, but his eyes were trained on Sans.

"DO YOU NEED HER TO BE FURTHER AWAY FROM YOU?"

Sans looked at you for a second, a desperate look in his eyes. He nodded, and you couldn't help but notice red tears begin to line the bottoms of his sockets.

Without waiting for instruction, you stood up and moved away, pressing your back against the wall. Papyrus tilted his head to indicate the dining room, and you went to sit at the table. You could still see what was going on.

"IS THAT BETTER?"

"yes."

Your lips trembled at the gagged sound of his voice.

"WOULD I EVER ALLOW ANYTHING TO HURT YOU?"

"no."

"IS THIS COLLAR MERELY A DECORATION?"

Once again, he shook his head. "no."

"IS IT A THREAT?"

"it's a promise."

This was interesting.

"A PROMISE TO WHO?"

"a promise ta me."

Papyrus tightened his grip even further. "WHAT HAVE I PROMISED BY PUTTING THIS COLLAR ON YOU?"

"ta keep me safe." He could barely get the words out due to Papyrus' choking hold.

"WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF I FAILED TO KEEP YOU SAFE?"

Sans sobbed then, and your heart broke for him. You felt so bad, knowing your presence had caused this.

"SANS? WHAT WOULD HAPPEN?" His hand jerked, causing Sans to claw at the collar. Papyrus' grip loosened just enough.

"you wouldn't fail."

"YOU ARE MY BROTHER, AND I LOVE YOU. THIS COLLAR MEANS THAT YOU ARE UNDER MY PROTECTION. IF I EVER FAILED TO PROTECT YOU, I WOULD KILL ALL THOSE THAT HARMED YOU. DO YOU TRUST ME?"

"of course, bro."

"HOW DO YOU FEEL?"

Sans sniffled and nodded. "better."

"GOOD." He slowly released the collar, seeming to test Sans' reaction, before letting go completely. He pulled Sans into his lap and petted his head for a moment. Sans coughed a bit and rubbed his cervical vertebrae. Papyrus pushed his hand out of the way again and wrapped his fingers around the bones. You told yourself yet again to trust what he was doing.

A soft green glow told you that he was healing whatever damage may have been caused by his rough treatment. He rested against Papyrus' shoulder for a long moment, his sockets closed and his knees brought up to his chest. Papyrus held him, gently petting his skull and cervical vertebrae, until Sans moved again.

He looked up at Papyrus and gave him a watery smile before he stood up.

"i'm gonna go grab a nap before dinner."

Papyrus nodded, and Sans disappeared.

You got up and made your way back to Papyrus. He pulled you into his lap.

"I'M SORRY," he said, holding you tighter.

You looked at him, perplexed. "For what?"

"YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO SEE THAT." He refused to look at you.

"I should have left." You shook your head. "I'm so sorry; I know it was me—"

Papyrus kissed you. "IF IT WAS TRULY YOU THAT TRIGGERED IT, HE WOULD HAVE SAID THAT HE NEEDED YOU TO LEAVE. IT WASN'T YOU, BUT YOUR HUMANNESS."

You huffed. "Yeah, that sounds like it was me. I kind of feel like I shouldn't have been here for that, but not because it was something I didn't want to see. I can't even count how many times I've asked him about the collar. I get why he never told me why he wears it. I guess I feel like I was intruding on a very private moment." You shrugged.

"YOU NEVER CEASE TO AMAZE ME. I TRUST YOU UNDERSTAND I WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU TO LEAVE IF I THOUGHT IT WAS NECESSARY."

You nodded. "Yeah. Is that how you help him through panic attacks and stuff?"

"YES. IN THE UNDERGROUND, COLLARING WAS A WAY TO LET OTHERS KNOW THAT A MONSTER WITH LOW HEALTH WAS UNDER THE PROTECTION OF ANOTHER. MOST MONSTERS TOOK OFF THEIR COLLARS WHEN WE REACHED THE SURFACE, UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY WERE NO LONGER NEEDED. I ONLY EVER ASKED HIM TO REMOVE HIS ONCE. HE TRIED, BUT THE RESULTING PANIC ATTACK WAS ONE OF THE WORST HE'S EVER HAD. IT MAKES HIM FEEL SAFE TO KEEP IT ON, AND I REFUSE TO TAKE THAT AWAY FROM HIM."

"I can't blame you for that."

An alarm went off, indicating that dinner was ready to be taken out of the oven. You got up and let Papyrus do his thing. After a second, you got up and went to stand in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Hey, I have another question."

He nodded at you.

"Why does he call you 'Boss'?" It was another thing you'd asked Sans about countless times but had never gotten a straight answer for.

Papyrus chuckled. "HE WORKED FOR ME AS A SENTRY IN THE UNDERGROUND, SO I WAS VERY LITERALLY HIS BOSS. BACK THERE, IT WAS A SHOW OF RESPECT, BUT ON THE SURFACE IT BECAME SOMETHING OF AN INSIDE JOKE FOR US MONSTERS."

You could hardly believe you'd never considered Sans working for his brother. It made way too much sense.

"Do you want me to go get him for dinner?" you asked, glancing up the stairs.

"NO. I'LL GET HIM IN A MINUTE. WILL YOU SET THE TABLE?"

You did as he asked, a smile pulling at your lips as you remembered the first time you'd done this. Papyrus came down with Sans a few minutes later. Sans smiled and sat down like he hadn't had a full-on panic attack less than twenty minutes ago. You smiled back tightly, worried for him.

"Are you okay?"

He ignored the question. Instead of answering you, he rubbed his hands together in anticipation of dinner as Papyrus brought his masterfully crafted casserole to the table. He seemed like his normal self as he dug out a huge portion and began eating before it even had time to cool. As you'd expected, he hissed through a mouthful of food and complained about the temperature.

"MAYBE YOU SHOULD TRY TO BE CIVILIZED NEXT TIME."

Sans snickered after he'd swallowed. "ain't no fun in that."

Papyrus was smirking, clearly trying to hide his inner laughter. The pure relief in his face was obvious, and it made you feel a little better.

"I'M SURE."

You didn't stay long after dinner. As okay as Sans tried to seem, it was still pretty clear that he wasn't entirely comfortable with a human in the house. Papyrus walked you out to your car.

"I'm supposed to start working for Bonnie on Monday," you told him before you opened the door. Bonnie was the shop owner. "I need to call that apartment complex; we missed our appointment."

He nodded. "YES, WE DID. WILL YOU LET ME MAKE THE APPOINTMENT?"

You figured that would be best rather than trying to coordinate back and forth with him and the complex for a good time. Your time was pretty much open, considering Bonnie was going to be flexible with your hours. You nodded and leaned into him, unwilling to leave.

"I need to talk to my apartment managers, too; they sent me a notice saying I need to renew my lease since it's after the first."

He kissed your forehead. "LET THEM KNOW YOU'D BE WILLING TO PAY PRORATED RENT FOR THE DAYS YOU STAYED PAST YOUR OLD CONTRACT, A MONTH AT THE VERY MOST, BUT THAT EVEN A THREE-MONTH CONTRACT IS OUT OF THE QUESTION. IF THEY SAY THEY HAVE TO HAVE YOU SIGN SOMETHING, MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOU READ OVER THE TERMS AND THE AMOUNTS YOU'RE AGREEING TO AND THAT THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE TERMS VERBALLY. IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THEM, PLEASE LET ME KNOW."

You nodded. When it came to legal shit, he was definitely smarter than you and you'd defer to his wisdom.

"Okay. I'm going to talk to them tomorrow, so answer your phone if I call, okay?"

He nodded again hugged you tightly. "I LOVE YOU."

You smiled brightly and stood on your toes to kiss him. "I love you, too."

You finally managed to tear yourself away from him a few minutes later. He opened your car door for you and didn't shut it until you'd buckled your seatbelt and he'd given you three more kisses.

It wasn't until much later that evening when you took a shower that you realized you hadn't used a condom earlier that day. Papyrus' cum had steadily leaked from your body, creating quite the mess in your panties. You recalled the conversation you had with him when he confirmed that he was able to get you pregnant.

Strangely, you weren't upset or afraid. A form of peace spread over your soul when you thought about having kids with Papyrus. Now wasn't a great time, but at least you weren't being stalked by a deranged serial killer anymore.

You really did need to talk to Papyrus, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Triggers: seeing a dead body, attempted murder of a main character, witnessing the act of killing another person, beginnings of an anxiety attack, choking, choking as a coping mechanism, possibly bdsm but I really don't see it that way, if it is bsdm it sure as fuck ain't sexual.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which preparedness turns you on.
> 
> Alternate summary: In which there was a shit-ton of word vomit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So remember when I said that this chapter was going to be the last barring any outline diarrhea or word vomit? Well, guess what happened?
> 
> I apologize in advance for this chapter. It is entirely, one hundred and fifty percent self-indulgent nonsense. I did minimal research on some of the legalities and tenant rights and such, so yeah. Don't come at me if it's all wrong, kay?
> 
> At least there's also sex.
> 
> Enjoy!

"Ma'am, we don't offer any shorter leases. This isn't a hotel."

You rested your forehead in your palms and sighed out of frustration. "Well, I'm not signing a year lease. You can shove it up your ass."

"You've stayed here a week past the end of your last contract; you don't have much choice."

That time you looked at the manager—Paul—and gave him a pretty smile. "Can you give me a minute? I just need to make a phone call."

He nodded, and you stepped outside the office to call Papyrus. He answered on the second ring.

"ARE THEY GIVING YOU TROUBLE?"

You had to laugh. "Are they ever. He wants me to sign a year lease and is basically telling me he'll sue me if I don't."

"ASK IF HE'LL BE AVAILABLE IN AN HOUR."

"Okay, just a sec." Still holding the phone to your ear, you poked your head in the office. "Paul, would you be available to talk to my boyfriend in about an hour?"

Paul smirked, probably thinking you were bringing in your big, tough boyfriend to fight your fights. He wasn't exactly wrong, but he really didn't know what was about to hit him. "I can be, yes."

You nodded and stepped back out. "He said yes."

"GOOD. I'LL BE THERE SOON."

You hung up and went back into the office. "Do you want me to come back when he gets here, or should I hang out here?"

"You can come back." He was already putting your papers back in the folder he'd pulled them from.

You nodded and left.

You had started packing and spent your time filling a few boxes. You'd already been surprised by how much stuff you'd managed to accumulate during your time in the apartment. Some stuff you had no desire to keep, so you'd started a donation pile.

Papyrus showed up just after eleven o'clock. You weren't surprised to see him in a dark business suit and red tie. You hugged him and stood on your toes to kiss him. He'd brought a briefcase with him but had already set it down.

"I'm sorry I pulled you out of work."

He caught your wrists and pulled your hands up to his mouth. "YOU DIDN'T. I'M ON MANDATORY LEAVE; SOMETHING ABOUT STRESS." He kissed the backs of your hands.

"That's probably a good idea. I mean, you did come face-to-face with a serial killer." You reached up and gently traced the scar on his eye socket. It had been widened by whatever the killer had hit him with, and it looked irritated. "I wish I could do something for you."

He nuzzled his face into your palm. "YOU DO PLENTY JUST BY BEING YOU." He turned his head to kiss your fingers.

"Do you have any idea how cliché that line is?" You smiled anyway because it was cute.

"WHY IS IT CLICHÉ? IT'S TRUE." He pulled you closer and bent to kiss your lips.

"Because it's used in almost every love story ever." You kissed him back. You knew you'd have to pull away from him soon, but you didn't want to. You'd be happy to just stay in your half-packed apartment with him for the rest of the day.

"OKAY, THEN I'LL WORD IT DIFFERENTLY. YOU SAY YOU WISH YOU COULD DO SOMETHING, BUT YOU DON'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE WAY YOU ACCEPT WHO I AM  _IS_  DOING SOMETHING. YOU DIDN'T CALL MY LV INTO QUESTION WHEN I KILLED HIM; YOU SIMPLY ACCEPTED THAT I DID IT BECAUSE I WAS PROTECTING YOU AND MY BROTHER. I DID TRY TO APPREHEND HIM ALIVE. I MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO IT IF HE HADN'T LITERALLY PULLED YOU INTO THE SITUATION. AT THAT MOMENT, I DIDN'T SEE ANOTHER WAY OUT OF IT. IF I DIDN'T KILL HIM, HE'D GET AWAY FROM ME AGAIN AND LEARN FROM HIS MISTAKES THAT HE COULDN'T GIVE ME EVEN A FEW SECONDS TO STOP HIM. HE HAD OBVIOUSLY BEEN TRAINED IN COMBAT, POSSIBLY HAD A MILITARY BACKGROUND."

He shook his head. "MY POINT IS THAT YOU SOMEHOW UNDERSTAND THAT MY LV DIDN'T MAKE THAT DECISION. I DID. AND YOU FORGIVE ME FOR THAT, WHICH FEELS…I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN DESCRIBE IT. COMFORTING. WARM."

You couldn't deny his words made you feel all fuzzy inside. You pressed yourself tightly against him and kissed his chest. "I love you."

His arms constricted around you. "I LOVE YOU, TOO. WE SHOULD GO MEET WITH THE MANAGER."

Dammit. You managed to pull away from and nodded. "Yeah, you're right."

You walked into the office and smiled at Paul. He smiled back, then did a double-take when he saw Papyrus behind you.

"Is now a good time to talk about my lease?" you asked.

Paul nodded and stood up. "Yes, of course. Have a seat."

You took a step forward and turned. "This is Paul, the apartment manager. Paul, this is Papyrus, my boyfriend."

Paul looked seriously shaken. "Nice to meet you. Are you a lawyer?"

Ah. The reason for the suit suddenly became very clear.

Papyrus shook his head. "NO, BUT I KNOW A THING OR TWO ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF ADHERING TO POLICY." He sat down smoothly, unbuttoning his suit jacket as he did, and set his briefcase on the desk.

You sat beside him. "So, as we talked about earlier, Paul, I'm not going to sign a year lease."

Paul cleared his throat and got your folder, opening it as he set it in front of him. "Yes, and as I said earlier, this is not a hotel. You are required to sign a year lease to live here."

"IF I MAY." He opened the briefcase and pulled out a stack of papers.

Curious, you leaned over to see what he was holding. He didn't try to hide anything from you, but it was still difficult trying to decipher what anything on the page actually meant.

"HOTELS HAVE PER-NIGHT CONTRACTS, SOMETIMES WEEKLY, BUT RARELY ANYTHING MORE THAN THAT. NOBODY IS CALLING THE VALIDITY OF YOUR COMPLEX INTO QUESTION. WHAT WE ARE CALLING INTO QUESTION, HOWEVER, IS YOUR ABILITY TO ABIDE BY YOUR OWN POLICIES AND STATE LAW. Y/N IS NOT SAFE HERE. UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES RESULTED IN HER STAYING PAST THE END OF HER LAST CONTRACT, BUT I'M SURE WE CAN COME TO A COMPROMISE ON THE RENT SHE OWES YOU FOR THE LAST WEEK."

Paul leaned forward, his elbows resting on the desk. "We take the safety of our tenants very seriously."

"NO, YOU DON'T." Papyrus pulled the first paper away from the stack and set it in front of Paul. "THIS WAS A REPORT FILED A LITTLE LESS THAN A YEAR AGO REGARDING A BREAK-IN THAT HAPPENED ON YOUR PROPERTY. PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOW-UP MEASURES THAT WERE TAKEN."

"We did everything we needed to do in this case." Paul didn't even really glance at the paper.

"HMM. SO HOLDING THE TENANT RESPONSIBLE FOR DAMAGES WHILE AT THE SAME TIME LYING ABOUT THE EFFORT YOU PUT IN TO INVESTIGATE THE MATTER IS NOW LEGAL? INTERESTING. IN THIS SECTION YOU'LL SEE THAT YOU REPORTED TO THE TENANT THAT YOU WOULD VIEW SECURITY FOOTAGE AND RESPOND ACCORDINGLY. IN THIS SECTION, NO SECURITY FOOTAGE IS MENTIONED, INDICATING THAT YOU EITHER DID NOT CHECK IT, DIDN'T HAVE ANY TO CHECK, OR SIMPLY FAILED TO REPORT YOUR FINDINGS. ALL OF WHICH ARE ILLEGAL WHEN YOU ALREADY STATED, IN WRITING, THAT YOU WOULD DO IT."

He set another paper down. "THIS IS A COMPLAINT FILED BY A TENANT FOR THE LACK OF A RELIABLE SECURITY SYSTEM AFTER THE SIDE OF HER BUILDING WAS VANDALIZED. I'M SURE YOU'LL NOTE THAT HER EVICTION DATE WAS EXACTLY ONE WEEK AFTER THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED, AND THE CAMERAS WERE NEVER FIXED."

Paul's face was starting to turn a little red. "There wasn't anything wrong with them to begin with!"

Papyrus nodded. "I SEE. ARE YOUR TENANTS AWARE THAT THE CAMERAS ARE ONLY FOR SHOW, THEN?"

"They're not for show; they work. All of them."

"I WOULD ASK YOU HOW THEY CAN WORK WHEN THEIR CORDS HAVE BEEN SEVERED, BUT I SENSE THAT YOU'RE STRESSED ENOUGH. LET'S MOVE ON."

He set down the last paper in his hands. "THIS IS A LIST OF THE DATES THAT YOU RECEIVED REPORTS ABOUT TENANTS DEALING DRUGS ON YOUR PROPERTY. NOT A SINGLE REPORT WAS INVESTIGATED, DESPITE ONE OF YOUR TENANTS HAVING BEEN ARRESTED ON DRUG CHARGES TWICE WHILE LIVING HERE."

"Look, none of this has anything to do with what y/n experienced during her—"

"I'M NOT FINISHED," Papyrus interrupted. "AND, BY THE WAY, IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH HER EXPERIENCE HERE. YOUR JOB AS A LANDLORD IS TO PROVIDE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUR TENANTS. HOW ARE THEY SAFE WHEN YOU BLAME THEM FOR YOUR SHITTY SECURITY AND FAIL TO FOLLOW THE MOST BASIC OF PROTOCOLS?"

He gave Paul a second to answer, which he didn't. He looked like a child getting scorned.

"REGARDLESS." Papyrus pulled another few papers out of the briefcase and set them down. "THESE ARE REPORTS FILED BY Y/N DURING HER LAST YEAR. THE FIRST TWO ARE MAINTENANCE REQUESTS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE SAFETY OF HER APARTMENT THAT WERE NEVER ADDRESSED. THE SOCKET IN THE BEDROOM IS STILL BROKEN, AND SHE IS IN NO WAY RESPONSIBLE TO TOUCH IT. IT HAS BEEN OVER SIX MONTHS, AND YOU'LL NOTE HERE THAT THIS WAS THE THIRD TIME THE REQUEST WAS FILED. THE THIRD PAPER IS THE REPORT SHE FILED AFTER HER APARTMENT WAS NEARLY BROKEN INTO. AGAIN, NO ACTION WAS TAKEN."

You leaned forward, looking over the papers. "How did you get all this, Papyrus?"

He glanced at you, a smirk on his face. "I HAVE CONNECTIONS."

"Have you been spying on me?"

He snorted that time. "NO. GETTING COPIES OF THESE REPORTS IS FAR EASIER THAN ONE MIGHT THINK. BESIDES, I HAD A FEELING THEY MIGHT TRY TO PULL SOMETHING LIKE THIS AND THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BEST TO COME PREPARED."

"What exactly are you proposing as a solution here," Paul asked.

"SHE WILL PAY ONE MONTH'S RENT. NOTHING MORE. SHE WILL NOT BE REQUIRED TO SIGN ANY KIND OF LEASE UNLESS IT IS A MONTH-TO-MONTH. IF YOU SERIOUSLY DON'T KNOW HOW TO DRAW ONE UP, ANOTHER TYPE OF AGREEMENT IS FINE AS LONG AS IT STILL MEETS THE REQUIRED TERMS. SHE WILL NOT PAY FOR ANY DAMAGES TO HER APARTMENT THAT RESULTED FROM ANY BREAK-INS, ESPECIALLY THE LAST ONE. SHE WILL RECEIVE HER SECURITY DEPOSIT BACK FROM HER LAST LEASE. SHE WILL ACCEPT THE FULL AMOUNT BEING PUT TOWARD THE RENT SHE OWES FOR THIS MONTH OR AS A CHECK."

Your head was spinning. How the hell did Papyrus do this? You had to admit it was a bit sexy, but somehow you felt yourself actually feeling bad for Paul.

Paul looked a little dizzy as well. He obviously hadn't expected your boyfriend to be so knowledgeable. He'd probably expected you to bring in some guy who waived around fancy words but had no guts to back it up. For being a skeleton, Papyrus had a staggering amount of guts.

"HER RENT FOR THIS MONTH WILL BE THE SAME AMOUNT SHE'S PAID FOR PREVIOUS MONTHS. YOU WILL NOT RAISE HER RENT SIMPLY BECAUSE YOUR INCOMPETENCE REQUIRES YOU TO DRAW UP A SPECIAL LEASE. IF YOU ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH THESE TERMS, I AM HAPPY TO ALLOW YOU TO TAKE THE MATTER TO COURT."

You breathed a sigh of relief as Paul nodded. "Yeah, okay. We'll do the one month contract. Give me a minute to draw it up."

As you waited for Paul to get the contract ready, you leaned over and rested your head on Papyrus' shoulder. He kissed your head.

"Thank you for coming out, baby." You looked up at him.

He nodded. "OF COURSE."

It only took Paul a few minutes to get everything ready, which made you feel like he'd been bluffing the whole time and that these special leases were done more often than he'd let on. Papyrus took a moment to read over everything, much to Paul's annoyance.

"THIS DOESN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT HER SECURITY DEPOSIT. WILL THAT BE ON A DIFFERENT DOCUMENT?"

Paul sighed. "No; the security deposit is nonrefundable."

Papyrus sat up straighter. "THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE." He pulled out yet another paper from his briefcase and set it down, pointing out a specific paragraph. "THIS IS HER PREVIOUS LEASE. IT VERY CLEARLY STATES THAT THE SECURITY DEPOSIT WILL BE REFUNDED BARRING ANY DAMAGES TO THE APARTMENT THAT ARE HER FAULT. I AM WILLING TO CONCEDE THAT AN INSPECTION MUST TAKE PLACE BEFORE ANY FURTHER ACTION CAN BE TAKEN ON THAT FRONT, BUT THAT MUST BE IN THIS NEW CONTRACT BEFORE SHE SIGNS IT."

"Are you sure you're not a lawyer?" Paul asked he turned back to the computer.

"I'M UNSURE HOW A PERSON COULD BE A LAWYER AND NOT KNOW IT."

You smirked. You'd never really gotten a chance to see this side of him before. This must be the vicious sense of humor Sans had once talked about.

Paul didn't say anything back. He turned back to his computer and made a few edits before printing off a new contract. Once again, Papyrus took his time reading through everything.

You sat up a little straighter when he nodded. He then leaned over to you and pointed out the important parts of the contract that he'd talked about and asked if you had any questions on any of it.

You shook your head. "No, I'm good. I trust you."

He smirked. "AN EXCELLENT DECISION, REALLY."

You elbowed his arm.

Paul had you sign a few different places. He told you that you had until the end of that day to come up with the month's rent. Papyrus corrected him; you had twenty-four hours. You decided you'd get the money that day anyway since you had it in your bank account.

Papyrus went with you to the bank. He didn't have anything else to do that day and decided that he'd much rather spend time with you than go back to an empty house with nothing to do.

When you returned to your apartment, you waited only long enough for him to put his briefcase down before you pounced. He was still by the door, so you pushed him against it and stood up on your toes to kiss him. His hands went to your hips and held tightly.

His smile was bordering on goofy when you pulled back.

"DID MY LEGAL EXPERTISE TURN YOU ON?"

Your hands slid down the front of his suit jacket, pressing hard enough to feel the outlines of his ribs. "Everything about you turns me on, baby. But yes, what you did for me today was a huge fucking turn-on."

"HMM. AND I THOUGHT YOU DIDN'T LIKE IT WHEN I GET PROTECTIVE."

You rolled your eyes. "Please tell me you know the difference between snapping at one of my friends for hugging me and helping me out when I ask you to."

He pretended to think about it for a few seconds, his hands sliding down to grip your ass. "NO; THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE." He kissed you.

You pushed back, a smile on your lips. "Yes there is, you dork. But really, you saved me from a lot of hassle and probably saved me a lot of money today. You were sexy and smart and,  _god_ , the way you came all prepared."

"PREPAREDNESS TURNS YOU ON NOW?" You could hear the laughter in his voice.

"Papyrus, let me break it down for you, okay? First, you're in a suit and tie. That, right there, is a major fucking turn on because you are hot as hell. Second, I don't know how long it took you to get all of that evidence together, but you did it because you thought  _maybe_  my current landlord would give me trouble. That's sweet and shows that you really care about me. Third, you faced down my human landlord—who, by the way, could have sent the whole thing to court at any moment—and intimidated him into giving me a fair contract for one month. I mean, I know you saved me from a serial killer and all, but this was much sexier to witness."

He was full-on grinning now, humor shining in his eye lights. "I ALMOST WISH HE HAD SENT IT COURT; YOU WOULD HAVE GOTTEN A SETTLEMENT OUT OF THEM FOR THEIR NEGLIGENCE. THIS WAY IS MUCH EASIER, HOWEVER."

"Right now, I'm all for ease. Just…thank you. Thank you for everything you have done for me, baby. How can I possibly show you how grateful I am?" You looked up at him through your lashes and bit your lip.

Less than ten minutes later, you were bent over the arm of the couch with his cock buried deep in your pussy. He fucked you hard, one hand on the back of your neck pushing you into the couch while the other gripped your hip. His pants were around his ankles, his jacket thrown over the back of the couch, but he still wore the button-up and the now-loosened tie. You were in a similar state of dress; you hadn't bothered to shed your shirt. Your pants had been kicked off somewhere by the door and your panties shoved aside to allow Papyrus access to your cunt.

You gripped the cushion under your face tightly as you begged for more.

His hand on your neck slipped up into your hair and curled into a fist. He'd pulled your hair before and it had always felt good. This time, your stomach twisted as he began to pull, unpleasant memories shattering your pleasure.

" _Don't!_ " You all but screamed the word and reached behind you to slap his arm.

He pulled back instantly. "ARE YOU OKAY?"

You moved to stand up, and he pulled out, stepping backward to give you room. You turned and pressed yourself against him, a very unwelcome pressure in your chest. Taking a few deep breaths, you wrapped your arms around him and told yourself not to cry.

"I'm okay," you said, not entirely sure if you weren't lying.

He held you tightly and kissed your head. "DID I HURT YOU?"

You shook your head. "No. It's just…I, um…" You really didn't want to say anything. It wasn't because you thought Papyrus would be anything other than supportive, but because you just wanted to forget. "He dragged me by my hair."

He froze for a second before a deep growl rumbled in his chest. He raised one hand to smooth down your hair and kissed your head again. "I DIDN'T KNOW THAT. I'M SORRY."

"It's not your fault. You probably didn't even see that."

"NO, I DIDN'T. FROM NOW ON, I WILL NOT PULL YOUR HAIR."

You nodded and hugged him tighter. "Thanks. This makes me sad because I used to really like that."

"I'M SURE WE CAN FIND OTHER THINGS YOU'LL REALLY LIKE." He made you look up at him. "DON'T PUNISH YOURSELF FOR SURVIVING A TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE. THIS WON'T BE THE ONLY LASTING EFFECT OF WHAT YOU WENT THROUGH, AND I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER THAT. TRUST ME; I KNOW A THING OR TWO ABOUT POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS." He bent to kiss your lips.

You smiled gratefully and kissed him back. "I still want to finish."

"DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE POSITION?"

You thought about that for a second before you nodded. "I wanna ride you." You pulled him a little closer to the couch. "Sit down."

He kicked off his pants before he sat, and you watched with fascination as his cock began to form again. You got a new condom out of the box and slipped out of your panties before you straddled him, kissing him deeply until it was fully formed. Once it was ready, you opened the condom package with your teeth and helped him put it, then eased yourself down on him.

It wasn't long before you were both lost in sensation once again. You leaned against him, licking and nipping at his cervical vertebrae while his fingers scratched gently down your back and gripped your hips tightly. His head was leaned back on the couch giving you full access to his bones. You bit down as your body began to tighten.

"F-FUCK, BABY!" He lifted his head and kissed you wildly for a moment before licking his way to your ear. "Say my name when you cum," he whispered, one hand on the back of your head and the other on your hip to help guide your movements. "Cum for me, baby. Cum for me and say my name."

You held him tighter and moaned loudly. You were on the brink, so close to orgasm, when he opened his mouth and traced his teeth gently along the outer shell of your ear.

"God…Papyrus!" Your body seized, orgasm exploding throughout your being. "Baby…I…hah- _fuck!"_

"Say my name," he urged, close to his own end.

"Pap…I can't…Papyrus!" You weren't even sure what was coming out of your mouth as waves of pleasure continued to crash over you. You hugged his shoulders and buried your face in his neck, your whole body shuddering until he finally came.

You were both still for several long moments, panting and holding each other close.

You kissed his clavicle and sat up just enough to look at him. "I really love you."

He smirked and kissed your lips. "I LOVE YOU TOO." He patted your hip. "LET ME UP."

You moved to his side and watched him walk to the kitchen to throw the condom away. You remembered then that there was something you needed to talk to him about. He pulled off his tie and unbuttoned his shirt, slipping it off and draping both on the back of the couch alongside his suit jacket. He then picked up his pants and folded them neatly before sitting next to you. You curled into his side, and his arm wrapped around your back.

"So, um…yesterday? When we had sex?"

He hummed.

"Did you know we forgot to use a condom?"

He looked down at you. "I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT. I'M SORRY."

You shook your head. "It's okay. I think. I mean, I'm not upset about it, but I thought we should probably talk about things.

"YES, WE SHOULD. DO YOU THINK YOU WERE FERTILE?"

You shrugged. "I don't know. I know I'm not due for my period for about another week, though."

He kissed your head. "I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT HUMAN BIOLOGY TO BE CERTAIN, BUT I DO REMEMBER READING THAT A WOMAN IS MOST FERTILE IN THE WEEK PRECEEDING MENSTRUATION. IT'S VERY LIKELY THAT YOU WERE FERTILE."

He didn't sound upset or angry or disappointed. On the flip side, he didn't sound hopeful, either. Only clinical. That wasn't exactly what you were hoping for.

"What would happen if I got pregnant?"

He gave you an odd look. "YOU'D HAVE A BABY."

"Okay, that's not exactly what I meant. What would happen with us?"

He still continued to give you the odd look. "I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU MEAN. WE WOULD HAVE A BABY. YOU WOULD BECOME A MOTHER AND I WOULD BE A FATHER."

He still didn't sound upset or hopeful. He sounded as if the whole thing was neutral to him.

You sighed and reached up to kiss his jaw. "Do you want to be a dad?"

He seemed to think about it for a long moment. His fingers played along your spine, almost tickling as he gently scratched.

"I'VE NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT BEFORE. I DON'T THINK I'D BE OPPOSED TO THE IDEA."

"I'm asking this, baby, because there's a possibility that you are about to become one really soon. I need to know where we stand, and I don't want this clinical, no-nonsense approach. I want to know how you  _feel_  about it. Personally, I love you and the idea of having kids with you is exciting. I'm really not sure that now is the best time, but I would love your baby no matter what." You bit your lip as you waited for his response.

"I'M NOT SURE HOW TO NOT BE CLINICAL ABOUT THIS."

"Would you still love me if I got pregnant?"

He looked at you then, a painful expression on his face. "WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THERE'S EVEN A POSSIBILITY THAT I WOULDN'T?"

You sucked in a breath and let it out slowly, a small nag pulling at your chest. You pushed it aside. "I know I should know better than to compare any monster to a human, but this is a life-altering situation here and I have no experience with how monsters typically handle unexpected pregnancies. With humans, if the father isn't interested in being a part of the family, he usually leaves. Sometimes he'll stick around to help out with the kid but just not in a relationship with the mother anymore. I would respect any decision you made, but it would break me if you left."

He pulled you onto his lap and kissed your forehead. "Y/N, LISTEN TO ME CAREFULLY. I LOVE YOU. I WANT TO BE WITH YOU FOR A LONG TIME. IF YOU WERE TO GET PREGNANT WITH MY CHILD, I WOULD NOT ABANDON YOU; I WOULD CONTINUE TO LOVE YOU AND HOPE THAT I COULD BE THE FATHER OUR CHILD DESERVES."

You hadn't realized until then that your eyes had watered. You blinked and felt his thumb wipe away the tear that fell. You nodded and hugged him.

"That was what I needed to hear. Thank you."

He made you look up at him and kissed you. You snuggled with him for a while longer until you started to get hungry.

Papyrus stayed with you until around the time Sans got off work. He left after letting you know that he'd set up the appointment with the new apartment complex for Friday afternoon. It was currently Wednesday, so you only had to suffer one day without seeing him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: The whole "you do plenty by just being you" and the reader calling the line cliche bit is me calling myself out because I use that line WAY TOO MUCH!


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the story ain't over yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh. My. God. 
> 
> You guys. I'm so sorry. All I have to say for myself is that real life is a bitch. And so are these characters, man. Holy shit. 
> 
> So, part of my problem was that my characters rebelled against me. Certain things were supposed to happen that didn't, and certain things were most certainly not supposed to happen but, whoops, they did. 
> 
> Anyhow. WARNING for potentially upsetting content regarding collars. More details about that in the end notes. 
> 
> Also, WARNING for potentially upsetting scene involving Reader learning to deepthroat. I really don't think it's too bad, but I'd rather warn for it so you can read carefully when you get there if you need to than have anyone triggered by the things that happen when one is doing this for the first time. No vomit.
> 
> Enjoy!

The meeting with your new apartment managers went much better than your meeting with Paul had gone. Before you had even gone into the office, Papyrus had taken you around the grounds and shown you what a proper security system looked like. Because you had to pay another month’s rent at your old apartment, you barely had enough to cover the first and last month’s rent; you didn’t have enough to cover the security deposit.

To your shocked surprise, Papyrus didn’t offer to pay it. Instead, he asked Carol, the new manager, if it was possible to pay the deposit in payments instead of upfront. The request was denied, but she offered to allow you to pay the last month’s rent in payments instead. That actually worked out better for your finances, so you happily agreed. After signing the lease, you were given the keys to your new apartment.   You took them with an excited squeal. You heard Papyrus chuckling beside you.

Saturday was your last day working for your old employer. Your coworkers said their goodbyes with a cute little bouquet of flowers. You got off earlier than usual to pack up the rest of your apartment and start moving things over.

Papyrus had recruited what felt like half of monsterkind to help you move on Sunday. You recognized most of them, but some you were certain you had never seen before.  You decided that if Papyrus trusted them, you could too. Several of your human friends had volunteered as well. Thanks to all the help, you were able to get everything you owned moved and pretty much set up in one day.

Papyrus had one more week of his mandatory leave and suggested that he stay with you for your first night in your new apartment. You agreed wholeheartedly, even though you knew neither of you would get much sleep.

Your first day working at the shop for Bonnie was nice. She was a pretty bunny monster with two kids. She showed you around the shop and spent the day teaching you how to use the cash register and other tools of her trade.

Sans was slowly getting better. He and Grillby came over for dinner, and you were thrilled to see him laughing and smiling. He even hugged you before they left.

One evening as you were looking through your phone out of boredom, your eye caught Papyrus’ contact name. It still made you smile, but something made you want to change it. Yes, he still knew how throw a tantrum, but he was so much more than that to you now. With a smile, you changed it to Captain Papyrus. He’d like that.  You decided not to tell him and just let him find it on his own someday.

The first month of your new life went by smoothly. Work was easier and you genuinely liked your coworkers. Your apartment was so clean compared to the one you’d recently left, despite there still being some lingering boxes that needed to be unpacked.

You had been a tiny bit disappointed when you’d started your period, but you knew it was for the best. Papyrus hadn’t seemed upset or happy when you told him the news; still just clinical. You didn’t let it bother you; it was obvious he didn’t have the family-oriented upbringing you’d had. His life had been focused on training for and being in the Royal Guard rather than who he was going to marry when he grew up.

Grillby’s bar was finally ready to open for business at the beginning of July, and Sans invited you and Papyrus to the opening ceremony. It really wasn’t going to be much more than good food and good company, but you sure weren’t going to turn it down. Papyrus was adamant that he didn’t want to go.

“Come on, baby,” you pleaded. “You can’t still be mad at Grillby. He’s proven that he’s been good for Sans.”

“NO, I’M NOT STILL MAD AT GRILLBY. HOWEVER, I AM NOT FOND OF GREASY FOOD.” He turned his nasal ridge up and shook his head. “IT’S DISGUSTING.”

“Okay, then come and get like a salad or something. He has those, right?” Maybe not; would the lettuce wilt? “Just come and hang out with us. Do it for Sans. Or me, whichever makes you feel guiltier for saying no. Support your brother’s boyfriend, baby; it’s just one night.”  You decided to pull out your superpower and gave him a cute pout.

He let out a dramatic sigh and held up his right index finger. “ _ONE_ NIGHT. DO NOT EXPECT ME TO EVER RETURN TO HIS ESTABLISHMENT.” He shook his head like he couldn’t believe you’d actually talked him into it.

You grinned and stood on your toes to kiss him. “Never. Thank you! Sans thanks you, too, I’m sure.”

The bar was gorgeous. The ambiance of the lighting cast a beautiful orange glow over the place, and it smelled heavenly. You met Sans, Undyne, and Alphys at the bar where Grillby was standing behind the counter performing some tricks as he poured drinks.

Sans hugged you tightly before hugging Papyrus. “thanks for comin’ guys. means a lot to grillbz.”

“I’M NOT HERE FOR GRILLBY.”

You elbowed his ribs. “We’re happy to be here and support him.” You looked over at Grillby and watched in fascination as he finished a trick and slid shot glasses over to a group on the other end of the bar. He then made his way over to your group.

“Welcome to _New Grillby’s_ , what can I getcha, sweetheart?” He smiled at you.

“I need to try one of your burgers. Sans won’t stop talking about them.”  You gave Sans a wink, and he winked back at you.

The burger was every bit as delicious as Sans had made them sound.

You and Papyrus stayed for a while, but it was clear to you that he wasn’t very comfortable. After what felt like a reasonable amount of time had passed, you let Papyrus know that you were okay with leaving. He nodded and turned like he was just going to walk out right then, but you caught his hand and made him say goodbye to everyone with you.

* * *

The end of July marked the anniversary of the barrier breaking. You got to work a little with Frisk as you helped to set things up at the fairgrounds. They were sweet, and every bit as kind as everyone said they were. You also got to meet the king and queen when they showed up to the fairgrounds unexpectedly. Toriel had just been checking on Frisk, while Asgore had been checking on the overall progress of the festival.

They both seemed to know who you were and were happy to meet you. You felt a little starstruck after they left.

When Sans and Papyrus showed up, you gushed about meeting their royalty for a half an hour straight before you realized something was different about Sans’ usual attire.

“what?” he asked after catching you staring at him.

You weren’t sure if you dared bring it up. He still wore his red, studded collar, but under it you could see a band of thick, black leather wrapped snugly around his cervical vertebrae. You glanced at Papyrus, and he shook his head. Okay. Instead of saying anything, you gave him a hug.

“I’m just happy that you seem so happy.”

“’course i’m happy. ‘m always happy. i’m tha happiest motherfucker you’ve ever met.”

You snorted. “Let’s not push it too far. Is Grillby coming today?”

“yep. he’s gonna serve the shots.”

Sans wandered off to check out his ticket booth, and you stepped up to Papyrus. He was wearing his uniform. You’d almost forgotten how fucking sexy he was in it.

“You know, when I first met you a year ago, I thought to myself that I wanted to fuck you in this uniform.” You looked up at him through your lashes.

He nodded. “I’M SURE YOU DID. I LOOK HOT.”

You thumped your forehead against his sternum, trying to hide a smile. “You arrogant asshole.”

He chuckled. “YES, I AM.” He pushed you back just a little and kissed your head. “I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING SOONER. WE CAN’T DO ANYTHING HERE, AND WE CAME HERE IN SEPARATE CARS.”

“I, um…I actually rode with Frisk.” You had been hoping to go home with your boyfriend, but they’d already said they’d take you home if he had other plans.

He leaned in and kissed your ear. “Then you’re coming home with me.”

Oh, fuck yes. “That is a deal, Captain Papyrus.”

The festival was a huge hit. You were happy to see more humans turn out than the previous year. When it came time for fireworks, you sat next to Papyrus and smiled happily at the sight of Sans cuddled into Grillby’s side.

As you were getting ready to leave, Sans pulled you aside. He looked around for a moment to make sure no one was going to interrupt before shoving his hands in his pockets.

“i know you wanna ask, so go for it. better to get this shit outta the way.”

You furrowed your brow. “What do you mean?”

He cleared his throat and looked around again. “it ain’t official. not yet. i guess it’s called a collar of consideration? i dunno; your human rules and shit baffle the fuck outta me sometimes.” He shifted his weight and sucked in a breath. “boss knows all about it. he ‘n’ grillby ‘n’ me all had a chat about it the other day. i ain’t ready ta take off boss’ collar. but grillby wants to be the one to keep me safe, and i kinda wanna let ‘im, but not all the way yet. does that even make sense?”

You smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. “It makes perfect sense, Sans, but why do you think you need to explain this to me?”

He shuffled his feet for a second before he answered. “some’a you humans can make shit real weird real fast. when grillby ‘n’ me went to pick out the collar, the girl at the counter kept askin’ ‘bout the one ‘m already wearin’. told her to mind ‘er own fuckin’ business, but she acted like gettin’ a second collar was the eighth deadly sin or some shit.”

You pulled him into a tight hug. “All I care about is that you’re happy and safe. Maybe some day you’ll be able to take off your brother’s collar, but you know that everyone who matters won’t care if that never happens.”

He hugged you back and nuzzled into your shoulder. “an’ those who care don’t matter, right?” he teased.

You laughed and pulled back. “Exactly.”

The two of you returned to the rest of your group and said your goodbyes, then you and Papyrus left for the evening. You couldn’t keep your eyes off him as he drove.

“So I take it Sans will be staying with Grillby?”

He nodded and glanced at you. “HE’S BEEN STAYING THERE MORE OFTEN THAN NOT LATELY. GRILLBY AND I HAD A TALK A WEEK OR SO AGO, AND I THINK THAT MAY HAVE BEEN WHAT PUSHED HIM TO ASK SANS ABOUT COLLARING HIM. I DID TELL SANS THAT HE DIDN’T NEED TO SAY ANYTHING TO YOU ABOUT IT. HE CHOSE TO TELL YOU, SAYING THAT HE FELT YOU DESERVED TO KOW.”

You had a hunch that the talk between Papyrus and Grillby was more Papyrus threatening life and limb if anything were to happen to his brother. Still, just the fact that Sans trusted you enough to share that information with you was heartwarming.

“I’m not so sure I deserve it, necessarily, but I’m happy for him. He should be able to be happy and feel like he can be safe with the people he loves.”

Your heart began to pound as you pulled onto their street. You were already anticipating what was to come (heh), and your whole body was starting to heat up as Papyrus parked the car. He looked over at you and smirked; he could probably hear your heart or smell something.

“GET OUT OF THE CAR.”

His tone was nothing short of demanding, and it caused your body to shiver, goosebumps raising on your skin. You wanted to give in, but you just couldn’t go that easily.

“And what if I’m comfortable right here?” you asked, folding your hands in your lap.

He glanced down, somewhere between your hands and your breasts, and his jaw clenched. The lights in his sockets met your eyes then, and they blazed. Oh, you couldn’t wait to get into his bed. You needed him to dominate you, but you had to make him earn it.

_“PLEASE.”_ he grated.

You had to grin at that.  “What do I get if I do as I’m told?”

Papyrus reached out to carefully drag a gloved fingertip down the side of your neck. “REWARDS ARE ONLY GIVEN TO THOSE WHO OBEY THEIR CAPTAIN’S ORDERS THE FIRST TIME.”

You did your best to hide how much his words affected you. Rewards were good and all, but something deep inside needed him to control you, punish you.

“I’ve never been very good at that,” you admitted.

He smirked. “I SUPPOSE I’LL JUST HAVE TO TEACH YOU THEN, WON’T I?”

Oh, hell yes. You sucked in a shuddering breath and nodded.

His smile dropped, and he looked and sounded every bit the Captain of the Royal Guard. “GET OUT OF THE CAR, SOLDIER.”

He didn’t wait for you this time. He opened his door and climbed out, leaving everything from the festival in the car as he started toward the door. It would all be fine waiting an hour or two. You scrambled to get out as well and hurried to catch up with him.

Once the door shut, you turned and tried to push him against it. He stopped you, hands on your shoulders pushing you back as he moved past you to the living room. You followed and looked up at him a little confused.

“YOU DISOBEYED A DIRECT ORDER,” he said as he turned to you. He actually looked really upset about it.

You swallowed. “Sorry?”

He shook his head. “APOLOGIES DON’T WORK HERE, SOLDIER. GET ON YOUR KNEES.”

You realized then that he wasn’t upset; this was part of the act, and he was taking his role seriously. You did as you were told that time, sinking down to your knees to wait for further instructions.

He stepped up to you slowly, unbuckling his belt as he did. You licked your lips, already anticipating his taste on your tongue. He stopped in front of you, belt hanging loose but pants still done up with a tantalizing bulge just waiting to be set free.

“SHOW ME HOW SORRY YOU ARE.”

“Yes, Sir, Captain Papyrus.” You smiled up at him as you reached up and unbuttoned the front of his pants. You pulled the zipper down and freed your prize, about to take him right into your mouth before you noticed the spikes on the underside were gone. You stroked him gently and looked up, confused even more when you realized it was a bit smaller.

“Baby, why’d you change your cock?”

He touched your cheek. “YOU’LL NEED A MORE HUMAN SHAPE FOR WHAT I WANT TO TRY.” Oh, that could only promise good things. You smiled up at him and he winked back. “NOW GET TO WORK.”

You didn’t hesitate that time, taking him in your mouth as far as you could. His hands went to the back of your head as he sucked in a hissing breath between his teeth. He let you set the pace for a few minutes, only urging you to take him a little deeper than usual. He hit your gag reflex a few times but didn’t stop you. You had an idea of what he wanted to try, and it only excited you more.

His hands in your hair tightened, careful not to pull, and when he hit your gag reflex that time he didn’t let you pull back.

“BREATHE THROUGH YOUR NOSE,” he instructed, his voice tight and breathless, “AND TRY TO RELAX.”

You sucked in a breath as he’d told you to do, and it did help. He slid in a little further, his fingers shaking now as he held your head still.

“FUCK…BABY, YOU’RE DOING SO WELL. KEEP BREATHING. TAP MY LEG IF YOU NEED ME TO STOP.”

You hummed your understanding and looked up at him, your eyes meeting the lights in his sockets as he pushed in just a little deeper.

You managed to take him halfway down your throat before you couldn’t do it anymore. Your insides were shaking with the instinct to vomit and your eyes watering so much everything was blurry and you had tears slipping down your cheeks. You tapped his leg, and he immediately withdrew. You gasped in air and wretched, but thankfully didn’t actually vomit.

Papyrus got down on his knees in front of you and framed your face with his hands. You smiled brightly at him, so happy you’d been able to get as far as you had.

“YOU’RE OKAY?” he asked, his fingers feeling down your throat.

“I’m so good.” The hoarseness of your voice surprised you. You cleared your throat, wincing when it hurt a little. “I really am. With time and practice, I’ll be deepthroating you every night.”

He kissed you hard and deep before he stood back up and offered his hand. You took it and let him help you up.

“Have I earned your forgiveness, Captain?” you asked sweetly.

His answering grin was positively diabolical. “I HAVEN’T EVEN CUM YET, SOLDIER! YOU HAVEN’T EARNED A DAMN THING. STRIP FOR ME AND GET ON THE COUCH.”

You didn’t take your time stripping for him. As much as you would have liked to give him a show, you needed him to fuck you. He hadn’t told you what position he wanted, so you sat down and looked up at him.

Papyrus shook his head as he unbuttoned his uniform jacket. “HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO FUCK YOU LIKE THIS?” he asked, sliding the jacket off and placing it gingerly across the back of the couch. He stood directly in front of you, his hard cock tantalizing. You reached out to touch him, but he slapped your hand away. “LIE DOWN.”

Shifting to lie back, you watched him as he took off his shoes and then slipped his pants down. He folded them and set them next to his jacket. His gloves and shirt were next, leaving him naked as well. His eye lights roamed your body, stopping just between your legs. He reached out and took your knees, pulling them up and apart.

“LOOK HOW WET YOU ARE,” he said, almost as if he were chiding you. He slipped a finger inside you, and you nearly wailed with how much you needed him. “YOU MUST REALLY ENJOY CHOKING ON MY COCK.”

There was no way in hell you could deny it. He added another finger and pumped them in and out for a brief moment before he abruptly pulled back. You whimpered and looked up at him, worried something might be wrong.

“THIS IS NOT ABOUT YOUR PLEASURE. I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER THAT, SOLDIER. IF YOU WANT TO EARN ANYTHING FROM ME, YOU’D BETTER NOT CUM UNTIL I GIVE YOU PERMISSION. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?”

“Yes!” You had no idea how you were going to obey that command, but you’d give it your best shot.

Papyrus left the room briefly to grab a box of condoms. You watched as he put one on, happy to see that his cock was back to its usual size with the spikes on the bottom. You licked your lips and waited as he knelt on the couch, hovering over you for a moment as his eye lights appreciated the view. And then he pushed in, filling you with one slow, patient thrust. You threw your head back and moaned, your fingers gripping the cushions under you.

Once hilted inside you, he stopped and adjust himself slightly, then laid down with his arms on either side of your head. He kissed you, so soft and sweet, then began rocking against you gently. You couldn’t help but reach up to grip his shoulders, pulling him down for another kiss. He allowed it and thrust harder, groaning into your mouth.

He fucked you harder with each thrust and reached down to wrap an arm around your hips, lifting your body just enough to change the angle. He found the magic place inside you only he’d ever been able to hit and soon your body was shaking and so close.

“Please, baby!” you begged. “Please let me cum! Fuck, Papyrus, I’m so fucking close.”

“FUCK YES, CUM ON MY COCK, BABY!”  He leaned in closer and kissed your ear. “Say my name when you cum, sweetheart. Say my name.”

You gripped him tightly to keep him close and wailed his name as your orgasm ripped through you. He didn’t stop, fucking you right through and into another, harder orgasm. He panted your name against your ear as he came deep inside you, his thrusts uncoordinated and shallow.

He didn’t pull out right away. You held him with shaking arms and lightly caressed his sweaty bones.

“I love you so much,” you whispered.

He nuzzled against your cheek. “I love you, too.”

He pulled out then and grunted as he got up to throw the condom away. When he came back, he helped you up and gathered his clothes. You gathered your own, knowing he’d just come down and do it for you if you didn’t. You followed him up the stairs to his room where you just dropped your clothes into the hamper. You had taken the liberty of leaving a few things at his house for this exact scenario, and you went to his dresser to pull out the panties and nightgown you’d stashed there.

After putting his uniform away, Papyrus slipped on a soft, gray t-shirt and some flannel pajama pants before pulling you into a hug.

“YOU HAVE EARNED BOTH MY FORGIVENESS AND A PLACE BY MY SIDE TONIGHT. ARE YOU HUNGRY?”

You nodded against his sternum. “Yeah. What’s for dinner?” You looked up at him and smiled at the contentment on his face.

“LEFTOVER PIZZA. I’M TOO TIRED TO COOK TONIGHT.”

He led the way downstairs, and as you watched him heat the pizza up in the microwave, you wished that this could be an every night thing. Just you and Papyrus, making love and eating dinner together before going to bed.

Someday, you thought to yourself. Someday.

* * *

It wasn’t until the end of August that you realized something was wrong. Something was missing. You couldn’t quite put your finger on it until one Saturday afternoon you were digging in your cupboard under the bathroom sink and found an unopened box of pads you had bought at the beginning of July. You stared at the box for a full ten minutes before your brain caught up.

You hadn’t had your period in two months.

Abandoning whatever it was you’d been searching for in the first place, you quickly put on some jeans and a bra under your tank top, shoved your feet into some slippers and grabbed your purse before you ran out the door. The store just around the corner had what you needed and was close enough to walk, but you were in too much of a hurry. You got into your car and sped the block and a half it took to get there.

You picked up two pregnancy tests, just in case something happened to the first or you doubted the results. You shifted your weight as you contemplated grabbing a third, just to be safe. They were expensive, though…to hell with it. You grabbed a third one.

The cashier was an older human lady, and she gave you a sympathetic look as she rang up your items. You tried to appear like you hadn’t just freaked the fuck out and smiled at her. She saw right through you, you were sure.

Back at home, you read and re-read the instructions on each box to be sure you knew what you were doing. Should you call Papyrus first to let him know? No, you wanted to be able to give him and answer when you spoke to him. What if it was negative? You’d never missed a period in your life; suddenly missing two in a row had to mean you were either pregnant or dying, right?

You took several deep, calming breaths and took the first test. You washed your hands, fidgeted with the box, and paced the small bathroom for the full five minutes. It felt like five hours.

When the time was finally up, you grabbed the test and stared at the results. Two lines.

Before you could do anything, even get excited, you decided you had to test it again. It came out with the same result. You chewed on your lip as you debated whether or not it was overkill to take the third test. Overkill or not, you took it.

Armed with three positive pregnancy tests, you finally allowed yourself to get excited. You were going to have a baby with Papyrus! You were going to be a mom! You danced your way to the living room where you grabbed your phone and called your boyfriend.

“HELLO?"

“Hi! I have something I need to tell you!” You danced in place for a second, too happy to stand still.

“OKAY? ARE YOU ALRIGHT?”

“Yes, I am so great. Um…I don’t think I want to say this over the phone, though. Could you come over? Or, can I come over there?”

There was a short pause before he answered.

“YES, I SUPPOSE I CAN COME OUT THERE. YOU SOUND OUT OF BREATH; ARE YOU SURE YOU’RE OKAY?”

“I really am okay. Just hurry, okay?”

He said he would, and you both hung up. As you waited for him, you thought about how exactly you would break the news. You almost wanted to shove the tests at him, but then you wondered if he would even know what they were. You doubted you’d be able to sit still long enough to have a calm conversation. Should you start with how you figured it out, or should you just tell him the news up front and see how he reacted?

Ten minutes passed before Papyrus knocked on the door. You let him in and kissed him before grinning up at him.

“YOU LOOK…UPSET. DID SOMETHING HAPPEN?”

Upset? “No, Papyrus, this is really good news!” You took his hands and bounced on the balls of your feet. You still hadn’t decided how you were going to say this, and you found yourself blurting out the words. “I’m pregnant!”

His brow ridge furrowed, and his eye lights danced over your body. “PREGNANT?”

You nodded frantically and realized that you were breathing harder than normal. When did it get so hard to suck in air?  “Yeah.”

His fingers tightened on yours as he pulled you gently toward the couch. Your stomach was in knots all of a sudden, and your chest started to hurt. What was this? He sat down and pulled you onto his lap. You curled up into him, your whole body shaking. You tried to shake your head, to deny that you were upset about this. You really were happy! He shushed you and pet your hair, holding you tighter as you fought to keep breathing

Your fit didn’t last long. Finally able to breathe, you sat up a little and looked at him sheepishly.

“I’m sorry, baby.”

His bony hands gently rubbed your arms. “PLEASE DON’T BE SORRY. DO YOU FEEL BETTER?”

You nodded. “I’m not upset about this. I’m really not. I’m happy.”

He smiled and nodded. “I AM, TOO. THAT DOESN’T MEAN IT’S NOT OVERWHELMING TO THINK ABOUT THE COMING CHANGES. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT?”

You told him about what had happened earlier that day and about what you now realized was a panic attack. As happy as you were, Papyrus was right. There were so many things that were going to have to change, things you and he would have to work out, and in reality it didn’t just affect the two of you. Your baby would very likely be the first monster-human hybrid. Monsters everywhere were still getting hate from misinformed or belligerent humans; how would a hybrid be treated?

Not that it changed anything. You and Papyrus were going to start a family.

“I really love you,” you whispered, leaning in to kiss him.

He kissed back and held you tightly. “I LOVE YOU, TOO.”

The two of you spent a few hours talking about what would need to happen now. He wanted you to move in with him, but you were reluctant. For one, Sans still lived with him, and while he hadn’t had any issues being around humans for over a month, you couldn’t help but worry that living with one would change that. Money was another concern; you couldn’t break the lease without owing the rest of your year’s rent, and you couldn’t afford that. There was no way you’d be okay with Papyrus paying anything for you.

Then again, you’d probably have to rethink that mentality real quick considering you already knew he wasn’t going to settle for anything but the best for his child. The best crib, the best toys, the best…everything.

At the same time, the idea of not moving in together seemed incredibly unfair. It felt almost as if you were being selfish with your child, keeping Papyrus from being able to put them to bed or wake up with them in the night.

“WE HAVE TIME, Y/N. THIS DECISION DOESN’T NEED TO MADE RIGHT AWAY.”

You nodded. “I’m so sorry. I wish I could just make everything okay and let you pay off my lease. I just…”

He kissed your head. “YOU TRULY DO NOT NEED TO EXPLAIN IT TO ME. I UNDERSTAND. MY ONE REQUEST IS THAT WE HAVE A LIVING ARRANGEMENT FIGURED OUT BY THE TIME THE BABY IS BORN. I WON’T ALLOW US TO BE LIVING APART AFTER THAT.”

That you could handle. You reached up to kiss him again. “Thank you. When should we tell the others?”

“I THINK WE SHOULD TALK TO SANS FIRST. AND WHAT ABOUT YOUR FAMILY? I KNOW THEY’RE OUT OF STATE, BUT WE COULD VISIT OR VIDEO CHAT WITH THEM?”

You weren’t sure about that. You’d talked to your parents only a few times over the years, mostly around Christmas. They weren’t as bad as some humans, but they didn’t support monsters the way you thought they should. They were more indifferent than anything else, and it frustrated you.

You had introduced them to Papyrus over video chat one day, and while they had been supportive while on the call, they had texted you later that week to let you know that they were concerned for your safety and they wanted you to come home. You had been out of their house for six years, and they still thought they could tell you when to come home. You had let them know that you already were home; you belonged right where you were.

“I think I’d rather tell them over the safety of video chat and get their reaction before we chance an actual visit. My dad was that overprotective type that joked about threatening my date with a rifle.” You shook your head.

He frowned. “HE THREATENED THE PEOPLE YOU CHOSE TO DATE?”

“No, he didn’t actually do it. He just joked about it. But, I guess I would rather avoid a big fight if I can.” You snuggled into him a little more and smiled when his arms tightened around you.

He kissed the top of your head. “VERY WELL, THEN. LET’S TELL SANS TONIGHT. I’D LIKE YOU TO COME HOME WITH ME AND I’LL MAKE DINNER, THEN WE CAN TELL HIM.”

“I like that plan.”

So it was settled. You hoped Sans took the news well and that you’d have a chance to get his opinion on you moving in with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative summary: THERE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE A BABY, GODDAMMIT!! (Now that there is one, though, I'm super excited about it!)
> 
> Regarding Sans' collars: I tried to research this. I did. The most information I was able to get was that collars of consideration are a real thing and that while it seems pretty damn rare, it is possible for a sub to have more than one Dom. Obviously, Sans' and Papyrus' D/s relationship is not sexual and is only expressed when Sans needs help coping, but it's still very much an important part of his life. He can't just let go of the physical proof of his brother's protection when he's not a thousand percent sure he's comfortable with Grillby taking his place.


End file.
